A Bruised Heart
by IFYOUCOULDFLY
Summary: My version of Ruins of Gorlan! Will's parents are alive, but once his mother dies when Will is four, his father becomes cruel and bitter. He beats Will brutally, and finally, on his fourteenth birthday, Will decides to leave. He is taken to the ward at Redmont and given a new life, but how long can it last? Rated T for drunkards, violence, but mostly just paranoia!
1. Prologue

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So this is basically my own version of Ruins of Gorlan, in which Will has a family, but it's a broken one. Lots and lots of lovely angst/hurt/all that jazz that I love so much! Also, thanks ****_so _****much to the wonderful Fflewdder-the-Bard who has agreed to illustrate both Broken and April Fool's! If you haven't read them, please do! Hehe…shameless advertising….anyways, I DON'T OWN RANGER'S APPRENTICE AND NEVER WILL BECAUSE WELL JUST READ AND YOU'LL FIGURE OUT WHY OK GO AHEAD AND READ NOW LOL I LOVE CAPS**

**-Prologue thingy that's from the book don't sue me it's not mine-**

_Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, former Baron of Gorlan in the Kingdom of Araluen, looked out over his bleak, rainswept domain and, for perhaps the thousandth time, cursed._

_This was all that was left to him know – a jumble of rugged granite cliffs, tumbled boulders and icy mountains. Of sheer gorges and steep narrow passes. Of gravel rock, with never a tree or a sign of green to break the monotony._

_Even though it had been fifteen years since he had been driven back into this forbidding realm that had become his prison, he could still remember the pleasant green glades and thickly forested hills of his former fief. The streams filled with fish and the fields rich with crops and game. Gorlan had been a beautiful, living place. The mountains of Rain and Night were dead and desolate._

_A platoon of Wargals was drilling in the castle yard below him._ _Mogarath watched them for a few seconds, listening to the guttural, rhythmic chant that accompanied all their movements. They were stock misshapen beings, with features that were halfway human, but with a long brutish muzzle and fangs like a bear or a large dog._

_Avoiding all contact with humans, the Wargals had lived and bred in these remote mountains since ancient times._ _No one in living memory had ever set eyes upon one, but rumours and legends had persisted of a savage tribe of semi-intelligent beasts in the mountains._ _Morgarath, planning a revolt against the Kingdom of Araluen, had left Gorlan fief to seek them out. If such creatures existed, they would give him an edge to the war that was to come._

_It took him months but he eventually found them. Aside from their wordless chant, Wargals had no spoken language, relying on a primitive form of thought awareness for communication. But their minds were simple and their intellects basic. As a result, they had been totally susceptible to domination by a superior intelligence and willpower. Morgarath bent them to his will and they became the perfect army for him – ugly beyond nightmares, utterly pitiless and bound totally to his mental orders._

_Now looking at them, he remembered the brightly dressed knights in glittering armor who used to compete in tourneys at Castle Gorlan, their silk gowned ladies cheering them on and applauding their skills._ _Mentally comparing them to these black-furred, misshapen creatures, he cursed again._

_The Wargals attuned to his thoughts, sensed his thoughts and stirred uncomfortably, pausing in what they were doing._ _Angrily, he directed them back to their drill and the chanting resumed._

_Morgarath moved away from the unglazed window, closer to the fire that seemed utterly incapable of dispelling the damp and chill from this gloomy castle. Fifteen years, he thought to himself again. Fifteen years since he had rebelled against the newly crowned King Duncan, a youth in his twenties. He had planned it all carefully as the old king's sickness progressed, banking on the indecision and confusion that would follow his death to split the other barons and give Morgarath his opportunity to seize the throne._

_Secretly, he had trained his army of Wargals, massing them up here in the mountains, ready for the moment to strike. Then, in the days of confusion and grief following the king's death, when the barons Morgarath his opportunity to seize the throne._

_Duncan, young and inexperienced, could never have stood against him. The kingdom was his for the taking. The throne was his for the asking._

_Then Lord Northolt, the old king's supreme army commander, had rallied some of the younger barons into a loyal confederation, giving strength to Duncan's resolve and stiffening the wavering courage of the others. The armies had met at Hackham Heath, close by the Slipsunder River, and the battle swayed in the balance for five hours, with attack and counterattack and massive loss of life. The Slipsunder was a shallow river, but its treacherous reaches of quicksand and soft mud had formed an impassable barrier, protecting Morgarath's right flank._

_But then one of those grey-cloaked meddlers known as Rangers led a force of heavy cavalry across a secret ford ten kilometers upstream. The armored horsemen appeared at the crucial moment of the battle and fell upon the rear of Morgarath's army._

_The Wargals, trained in the tumbled rocks of the mountains, had one weakness. They feared horses and could never stand against such a surprise cavalry attack. They broke, retreating to the narrow confines of Three Step Pass, and back to the Mountains of Rain and Night. Morgarath, his rebellion defeated, went with them. And here he had been exiled these fifteen years. Waiting, plotting, hating the men who had done this to him. Now, he thought, it was time for his revenge._

_The time was ripe. Once again, he would lead his Wargals into an attack. But this time he would have allies. And this time he would sow the ground with uncertainty and confusion beforehand. This time none of those who conspired against him previously would be left alive to aid King Duncan. For the Wargals were not the only ancient, terrifying creatures he had found in these sombre mountains._

_He had two other allies, even more fearsome-the dreadful beasts known as the Kalkara. The time was ripe to unleash them._

**A/N: Ok, so this was just basically a recap on what happens before my version of ROG takes place. John Flanagan owns ALL of this except for the A/Ns. I know I've said that a million times, but I'm super paranoid so whatever! Anyways, the next chapter is probably already up if you're reading this, so check that out and stuff. Anyways, keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	2. Escape

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! Ok, so here's where ****_my _****version of ROG starts! This has already been disclaimed and blah blah blah whatever. Anyways, read on! Hope you like it, and thanks for all the support you guys give me! LUV U GUYS, AND READ ON!**

**-Chapter One: Escape-**

The door slammed, shaking Will from his thoughts, and the pungent smell of ale filled the shack. His dad was home. Cautiously, Will peeked around the wall to see his father stumbling towards the couch, mug in hand. The boy sighed. Another birthday spent with his father drunk and ignoring him.

It wasn't always this way. In fact, Daniel had once been a strong, brave fighter. He fought bravely in the battle at Hackham Heath, and was considered a hero. During the battle, however, he was brutally injured, near death. It was a miracle he lived, and he could under no circumstances fight again.

Daniel was a strong man, and he lived through this, but his world crumbled when, on Will's fourth birthday, his beloved wife finally succumbed to a sickness that had been plaguing her for months.

This was too much for Daniel. After losing both his capabilities as a worker and his wife, he began to drink. And he continued. Will's father, who had once been so full of joy, became bitter and cold. He rarely acknowledged Will, but that was fine with him, because when he did, he would beat him.

Will's birthdays were especially difficult for him, because it was the day his mother died. And unfortunately for him, this happened to be his fourteenth, ten years after the death of his mother. Will could tell that this was exactly what Daniel was thinking. As cruel as his father was, it pained him to see Daniel, war hero, in such a state of misery. Slowly, he began to creep forward.

As he got closer, he realized just how drunk his father was. It was dangerous for him to be doing this, but he was desperate to, for just once, have a different kind of birthday. Once Will was close enough, he cleared his throat and muttered, "D-dad?"

Will was an exceptionally quiet mover, and in Daniel's drunken state, barely anything registered. So when his son uttered his name, he was taken completely by surprise. Will watched in horror as his Dad jumped in surprise, then whirled around clumsily and glared at him.

"What are you doin', boy?" Daniel growled menacingly. "I-I d-didn't mean to-to startle you, D-Dad, I jus-" Will muttered, but his father wouldn't listen. "WELL, YA DID!" Daniel roared, slinging his empty mug across the room at his frightened son.

Quickly, Will fell to the floor just in time, and the mug sailed over his head and shattered against the wall behind him. Before he had time to react, he was yanked into the air by his shirt collar. "YOU BROKE MY MUG, BOY!" Daniel yelled, holding Will inches from his face.

Normally, Will would be calm, apologize, and accept his beating with little resistance. Today, however, was different. Will was tired. Tired of being treated like a rag doll, of being neglected, of trying to hold on to that little scrap of hope that he always kept. The little hope that maybe one day, Daniel wouldn't come home drunk, and he'd give Will a hug and apologize for all he'd done, and life as he knew it could resume. But he didn't care anymore.

"I MISS HER TOO, OKAY?" Will cried angrily. "But _I'm _still here! Don't you care at all? WHY ARE YOU TREATING ME LIKE THIS?" For a second, he was met with a blank expression. Then suddenly, Daniel's face turned a deep red, almost purple. "DON'T SHOUT AT ME, YOU INSOLENT BOY!" He screamed hysterically, and punched Will in the face. Hard.

Will was flung against the wall, where Daniel resumed to beat him senseless, this time in places no one would see them if he had his clothes on. The normal places. Again and again, Will was battered and bruised. Just when both were about to pass out, Will from pain, Daniel from exhaustion, the beating ceased.

Daniel dropped Will to the floor and lumbered drunkenly towards the window, where he proceeded to vomit violently. Will cringed, but managed to stumble away to his room, nursing his new bruises and cuts.

Will lay on his bead, listening to his father cursing and drunkenly wandering down the hall to his room. Soon after, he heard a door slam, and loud snores rumbling.

Normally, Will would have sat there and cried himself to sleep, trying desperately to hold on to that little scrap of hope. After all, Daniel couldn't support the household on his own! Will was the one that hunted for food, did the housework, and occasionally asked around the nearby towns for small jobs. Daniel just went to the tavern and drank his cares away, hanging around with his shady friends in alleyways. Will would just hold on to that, because he _knew _he couldn't let his father wither away like that! But he didn't care anymore.

As quietly as possible, Will got up from his bed and crept through the hall. He was nervous, very nervous. If his father caught him, he'd be beaten again. Will just had to trust himself, and keep listening to the steady snoring of the former warrior.

With great excitement, Will reached the door and opened it. Just when Will thought he was safe, the door creaked. Loudly. The snoring abruptly stopped, and he heard his father cry out in a slurred voice, "Wha-whosthere?"

Will couldn't waste any more time. He leaped from the doorway and into the woods, climbing a nearby tree as quickly as possible. The leaves were dense, and he managed to conceal himself just as Daniel stumbled to the doorway. He watched as his father shrugged, closed the door, and lumbered away.

Will could have cried out in excitement if he were foolish enough. He was free! But where would he go? They lived in the middle of the forest, away from most of civilization. He couldn't go into any of the nearby towns, every one had seen him there. The only place he could think of was the nearby Redmont fief.

He quickly decided on that and, after dropping from the tree, ran as fast as he could (without stressing his wounds too much) towards Redmont.

**HELLO MY LOVELY READERS THIS IS PAGEBREAK. HE'S A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE AND YOU'LL BE SEEING HIM QUITE OFTEN, SO GET ACQUAINTED NOW!**

Will was practically crawling by the time he reached Redmont. The moon was high in the sky, so it must have been around midnight. He heard hoofbeats coming towards him. He tried to shy away and hide, but he couldn't. He was exhausted, and his bruises were throbbing wildly.

He heard voices talking. "What is that?" "It's a boy!" "Well, don't just stand there, Rodney, help him!" Two figures, one tall and muscular, the other short and cloaked, approached him warily. "Are you alright, boy?" The taller one, Rodney, asked worriedly, and the cloaked one shook his head. "Obviously not. What's you're name, boy?"

Will mumbled as strongly as he could, which wasn't very strong, "Will-." Quickly, he cut himself off. He was about to say his surname, but he knew that would be a mistake. "Will what?" Rodney called, and Will shrugged. "I-I don't know my last name. I'm-I'm an orphan." The lie escaped from his lips before he could think straight. Seeing the looks on the pair's faces, Will continued. "My caretakers abandoned me, so I left. I don't have a place to stay, so…" he trailed off, hoping they would catch his drift and recommend a place.

"He should be taken to the ward." The cloaked figure muttered, and Rodney nodded. "Exactly. We should take him now, quickly. C'mon, we've got time! The boar can wait." Reluctantly, the cloaked man helped the boy onto the back of his pony and took him to the ward, Rodney in tow.

They quickly explained to the women at the ward, who gladly accepted him. He was showed to the boys' dormitories, where he quickly settled in with a weak smile of gratitude.

Halt watched with approval as the boy eased into his bed without waking the others. _"Interesting." _He thought before leaving with Rodney, off to track a boar.

**A/N: How'd ya like it? Good? Bad? You don't really know? Well, let me know! How, you say? REVIEW! Following and favoriting helps to…*whistles innocently*. Anyways, ****_three updates in one day and I'm dying! _****But, of course, it's worth it for you guys! Keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	3. Choosing Day

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So…whoa. Thanks _so _super much for everything you guys do for me! Like…seriously. You're amazing. Oh, and sorry I took longer than expected to update :P. Anyways, read on my little duckies (my friend got a pet duckling today…sorry)**

**-Chapter Two: Choosing Day-**

**-_One year later_-**

"Come on, Will, eat _something!" _Jenny urged, pushing his plate towards him. Will sighed and poked at his food. Normally, he loved the food, but his stomach was too nervous to eat anything.

"You won't get into battleschool if you don't eat anything!" Alyss tried, and Will rolled his eyes. Obviously, one meal wouldn't buff him up. "Not that he'll get in anyways!" Horace cut in, mouth full of food. Alyss frowned. "Close your mouth, Horace! That's disgusting! Besides, Will can get in if he wants to!"

Will sighed as Horace laughed. He knew that it was hopeless, but for some reason, he wanted to go to battleschool. He had wanted it since arriving at the Ward. Some small part of him thought that maybe, if he became a warrior like his father had once been, he would be compensating for leaving.

"Will the Wanderer couldn't get into battleschool if he ate the all of Araluen!" Horace guffawed, and, ignoring Jenny, George, and Alyss's glares, continued, sensing he was on a roll. "Nobody wanted him in their life, so nobody will want him as an apprentice!"

For a moment, the room was silent. Then, eyes blazing with anger, Will got up and, without a word, stormed out the door.

**HEY GUYS, IT'S PAGEBREAK! SO, UM…YEAH. COOL. SEEYA.**

Araluen seemed to stretch on forever. This tree was his favorite spot to be alone. Sometimes, he would sit up here for hours, just thinking.

Horace's words were floating around in his head now. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Nobody knew about his father, of course, but Horace's jibe felt like he was talking about just that. _"My father didn't want me." _He thought, tears forming in his eyes, threatening to fall. _"Why would the craftmasters? I'm to small for battleschool, I can't cook, I'm not at all diplomatic, I'd never fit in at scribe school, and battlehorses would squash me to a pulp." _He let a little sob escape his lips and, to his horror, heard a voice call out, "Who's there?"

Will glanced down to see a tall figure dressed in a cloak. He cursed under his breath. _"Go away, please!" _He mentally persuaded, but the tall young man didn't move. "How," the man called, "did you get up there?"

Will smiled in spite of himself. "I climbed." He called down cheekily, and the man laughed. "Obviously. Well, I'm Gilan. Who might you be?" Gilan asked. "Will. I'm from the ward. Actually, it's Choosing Day tomorrow…I should get going." He replied.

With barely a sound, Will dropped from the tree like a cat, and turned to Gilan. "Well…see you round, I guess." He said, smiling. "Here, I'll take you back to the Ward. It's getting dark." Gilan replied, and the two set off, talking like childhood friends.

**HEHE YEAH SORRY FOR WILL CRYING. I GUESS IT WAS WEIRD. BUT I NEEDED SOME GIL IN HERE AND…YEAH. WELL, PAGEBREAK OUT! PEACE!**

"Tallest to shortest! Let's go!" Martin bellowed in his typical high-strung tone. They filed into order: Horace first, then Alyss and George, and finally, Jenny and Will. Reluctantly, Will took his place as the shortest, and the craftmasters entered the room.

Of course, Horace was accepted into battleschool, Alyss was apprenticed to Lady Pauline, George chose scribe school, and Chubb gladly took Jenny. Finally, it was Will's turn, and his stomach was churning. This was it.

"Any preferences as to what apprenticeship you would like to take on?" Baron Arald asked, and all of Will's friends braced for it. They were certain what Will was going to choose, so when their friend spoke, it was a shock to everyone.

"I'm not sure." Will mumbled, shrugging awkwardly, then stared at his feet. He had been thinking since last night, and decided that asking for battleschool was hopeless. Horace was right. He might as well accept it: he was doomed to become a farmer. Who knew? Maybe one day, his dad would find him, and then all would be lost.

The baron cleared his throat. "I see. Would anybody like to take Will on as their apprentice?" As expected, the room was painfully quiet. Jenny and George stood awkwardly, Horace failed to stifle a snort, and Alyss, being very unladylike, elbowed him lightly. Suddenly, a gruff voice came from the shadows. "I will."

Everybody turned to see who the speaker was. The man was dressed in a cloak, face hidden behind the hood. Will immediately recognized him as one of the men who found him on his fourteenth birthday, the night he had escaped.

Martin quickly piped up. "Well, boy, do you accept?" For a moment, Will was silent. He was obviously a Ranger, and he had heard some strange talk about Rangers. Then again, Gilan was a Ranger, and he wasn't so bad…it couldn't be as bad as farming, anyways.

"I accept." He mumbled, not exactly happy, but not entirely upset either.

**HEY GUYS. WHATUUUP? IT'S PAGEBREAK AGAIN! K, SO GO AHEAD AND READ ****:)**

The pair walked along awkwardly. Will kept trying to make conversation, and kept failing. "So…what's being a Ranger like?" His new mentor just grunted and said, "I don't know, boy, it's a lot of things." Will nodded, completely unsatisfied. "But what do I do? Is…is it true what people say about Rangers? That they use magic and stuff? My d-caretaker-once told me a story about a Ranger at Hack-"

"We're here." Halt said, cutting him off and walking inside the small cabin in front of them. Will sighed. So far, Halt wasn't being very friendly at all. Still, he followed the Ranger inside. Once he reached his new home, he looked around, trying to find anything peculiar about it. To his slight disappointment, it looked like a regular old cabin to him.

"Once you're done gawping, I'll tell you what Ranger apprentices do." Halt said sarcastically, and Will nodded eagerly, ignoring his mentor's tone. Before he knew it, he was sweeping the entire cabin. As he cleaned, he started to wonder if he made the right choice.

**A/N: And…another chapter done! Hehe…yeah. I should probably be doing something right now to fill this A/N. Maybe I should make a corny joke, or maybe I should thank you for the millionth time for all the amazing things you do for me…oh look, it's a decently sized A/N now! Hehe…anyways, keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	4. New Skill, New Friend, And a New Life

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So right now, I'm in a real good mood! I'm singin along to Hunter Hayes (I LOOOVE HIM), my hair is blue (my friends and I…hehe!), my lips are purple (frozen blueberries…yumm), and I'm reading for some fanfic! So go ahead, read on!**

**-Chapter Three: New Skill, New Friend, And a New Life-  
**

Halt glanced around approvingly. His home was practically spotless, breakfast was ready and hot, and his new apprentice was staring at him eagerly. Wait a minute…eager apprentices were never a good thing. Halt sighed, knowing what was next.

"So…." Will began between bites of oatmeal. "I've been here for almost a week now, and the house is really clean…." Will looked up at him, trying to make his eyes as big and puppy-like as possible. Before he could ask, Halt cut in.

"Fine. You can start archery practice today." He said with finality in his voice, and Will smiled broadly. "Really? Cool! I've never really tried anything like archery…of course. I mean, I'm from the Ward, and there's not exactly any spare weaponry lying around, so I don't know why I would-"

Abruptly, Halt got up from the table and left, clearly not wanting to listen to Will's chattering. As his mentor disappeared into his room, Will sighed. So far, being a Ranger's apprentice didn't seem any better than farming.

**HEY, GUYS! PAGEBREAK HERE ;D! So, you know, go ahead and read I guess….:P**

Will focused, and moved his arm to draw the string back-

"What are you doing?" Halt cried out, just as Will let the surprisingly heavy string go-and sent an arrow flying towards him. Fortunately, Halt was used to having projectiles soaring towards his head, so he was able to duck perfectly, the arrow landing in a tree behind him.

Will's face began to burn, and he found a sudden interest in his shoes. Halt sighed and rolled his eyes and said, "Try this instead."

He demonstrated a shot, and Will groaned. Halt made it look so easy! The arrow flew with a soft _whoosh_ and landed, as always, directly in the center of the target. Will was absolutely certain that he'd never be able to do that. Still though, he had to try.

So again, Will raised his bow and focused. He let out a slight breath and, the world seemingly frozen around, released the arrow. He watched as it flew, landing squarely on the outer ring of the target. It was far from the center, but Will was overjoyed.

"Did you see that?" He cried, turning to Halt, who rolled his eyes. "Obviously." The grizzled Ranger said sarcastically. "I'm right here." His words, however, never reached Will. "I actually hit the target! Do you think one day I'll be able to be as good as you? Well actually I don't know. I mean, you're apparently eight feet tall, firebreathing, and can kill people just by spitting at them, so I really doubt that I'd ever-"

"Shoot a hundred more arrows." Halt cut in, abruptly ending Will's obnoxious ranting. Will sighed as his mentor stalked off towards the cabin to get more coffee. Just before he went indoors, however, Halt stopped.

"Good job." He mumbled, barely audible, then hurried inside. Will, though he didn't know why, beamed, then realized he had been craving praise for years now. _"Something I never got at home." _He thought, and as he fired arrow after arrow, he began to think that maybe being Halt's apprentice wasn't so bad after all.

**HELLO, OL' CHAPS. SO, THE NEXT STUFF IS GONNA BE IN THE FUTURE AND STUFF. SO YA. I'M SO AWKWARD…K BYE GUYS!-PAGEBREAK**

The arrow flew in a clear path, striking the outermost part of the center. Quickly, Will sent another volley in rapid succession. Halt watched from the veranda, nodding quietly. His apprentice had certainly improved over the two weeks, not only in his archery, but in silent and unseen moving and tracking as well. He nodded to himself once more, deciding it was time to take him to Old Bob.

Will eagerly put away his bow and quiver when Halt told him they were leaving. His arm was tiring from practice, and he was curious as to where they were going.

They traveled quickly, though it seemed like hours for both of the two. Will because he was just dying to run ahead and find out where they were going, and Halt because Will was rapidly firing questions at him. Finally, the pair reached the ranch of Old Bob.

Will was just opening his mouth to ask a question when a small, wrinkled old man stepped out of the hut ahead. "Hello, Halt!" He called as they approached. "New apprentice, I see?" Halt nodded grimly. "Sadly, yes. This is Will." Will gave a friendly as Halt gestured towards him.

Old Bob laughed. "Well, I suppose you want 'em now, huh?" Will looked at his mentor and, before Halt could even open his mouth to respond, Will was spewing out questions. "Want what? Why are we here? Hey, and you never answered _any _of my questions back there in the woods! How come you never do that? What if one day, I'm dying and I have to ask you a real important question about how I can live, but then you won't answer, and I die? What would happen then? Would you-"

"Yes!" Halt cried, exasperated. "We would like very much to have them now." With that, he rushed towards Old Bob, who chuckled goodheartedly. "Talkative one, isn't he?" He smiled, eyes twinkling with a friendly look that made Will feel very happy.

"Well, let's get going then!" He said merrily, leading them through his house and into a large pasture. "Feel free to visit the horses as you wish, Will. I'll be indoors, preparing supper." Will nodded, glancing at the dimming sky. He turned to say something to Halt, but his mentor was already in one of the paddocks connected to the pasture, talking softly to a small horse and feeding it an apple.

Will shrugged and began to wander towards some of the other paddocks. He watched with amusement as a herd of ponies galloped around the field in front of him. He leaned against the fence, realizing with wonder just how fast these little shaggy beasts were.

Abruptly, the head of the herd stopped, glancing at him quizzically. It was a shaggy gray pony, with a certain glimmer of mischievousness in its eye that sparked something inside of Will. He matched the pony's gaze, which eventually dropped to barrel of apples beside Will.

Will laughed. "You want these, huh?" He called out to the pony, then grabbed one and jumped the fence neatly, unaware that both Halt and Old Bob were watching him, smiles on their faces.

The two approached each other warily, and Will decided it was time for some fun. As a test, he took the apple in his hand and moved it left and right, laughing amusedly as the shaggy pony followed it with his gaze. Suddenly, growing tired of being teased, the pony charged,.

Will ran with all his might towards the fence on the other side of the pasture, apple still in hand, as the entire herd (gray pony in the lead) chased Will. The apprentice, of course, new he could never outrun an entire herd of horses, especially not ones this fast. No, he wouldn't be _that _foolish.

Just when the shaggy gray one was about to catch him, Will turned, grabbing hold of a branch and slinging himself into a tree. He watched, laughing out loud as the pony shook his head in annoyance. _"NOT FAIR!" _His eyes seemed to say. Will sighed happily and flipped around on the tree so that he was hanging upside down and looking into his new companion's eyes. Still upside down, he offered the apple up, and the pony gladly accepted, nearly biting Will's hand off as well.

Will flipped over the branch and landed lightly on the ground just as Old Bob and Halt reached the fence. Old Bob was laughing loudly, and even Halt wore a small smile on his face.

"Looks like you've got yerself a horse there, bud! Named Tug, that one." The old man cried, and Will smiled broadly. _"Oh, great." _Tug seemed to say. _"I'm stuck with _you _now?" _Will frowned. "Hey! I'm not that bad!" He cried, and Tug shook his head. _"Oh, yes you are!" _

So Old Bob and Halt walked away, leaving the new companions to argue playfully, fully aware that they had just witnessed the beginning of a beautiful friendship. "A real keeper, that boy is." Old Bob muttered as they walked away, and Halt nodded fondly. "He really is."

**A/N: Hehehe…I had fun writing this chapter. I just felt like in ROG, there wasn't enough Tug/Will awesomeness. Anyways, sorry I haven't been updating as frequently as I used to. Life is getting really busy, and I won't be writing at all on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday due to a state competition I'm in! Last year we placed 1st in the world, so fingers crossed for this weekend! Anyways, wish me luck and keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	5. The Harvest Festival

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So _thank you thank you thank you _for being….totally amazing! This will be the last update for a while :P but I'm hoping to squeeze something in by Tuesday! Anyways, read on!**

**-Chapter Four: The Harvest Festival-**

Horace was feeling down.

Ever since arriving at Battleschool, the three goons Alda, Bryn, and Jerome had given him a hard time. He'd been bullied to the point that it was affecting his own training. For the first time in years, he was starting to doubt that Battleschool was the right choice for him.

Now, as he walked up to his former ward mates at the Harvest Festival, his already foul mood was darkening. They were all laughing, talking, and eating without him. There was an empty gap where he should have been, but it didn't seem to matter to them. Worst of all, that little sneak _Will_ was right in the middle of it all.

Suddenly, one of his ward mates glanced up and smiled broadly. "Oh! Horace! You're here at last!" Jenny called sweetly. The others, even Will, looked up and waved, smiles on their faces. Though Horace could be a bully sometimes, they knew the Harvest Festival was no time for hostilities. Horace thought otherwise.

"At last? You didn't seem to care a moment ago." He growled, and the smiles dropped off of everybody else's faces. Sensing his dramatics were working, he continued. "Should I just leave then? Am I interrupting something _important?_"

"Oh, Horace, it's not like that at all." Alyss responded in a calm, collected tone. "To leave these pies waiting would be impractical, so we simply tucked in-." "Without me." Horace cut in bluntly. "Exactly."

The apprentice strode over to them, with an expression similar to someone's who just drank spoiled milk. "Well then? What was so funny?" Horace growled. George stood up to reply, and Will groaned inwardly. This day wasn't going very well so far. "Well you see, we were simply reminiscing on times past in the ward, where we were all completely different than today, as both social and physical figures in-."

"So you were talking about me then?" Horace cut in, stepping towards George menacingly. The two boys were uncomfortably close now, and George found himself looking up into Horace's eyes which, at the time, seemed very unnerving. "O-Oh, I, er, I s-sup-pose so." The new scribe muttered feebly, staring at the ground.

Horace laughed loudly. "I see. So your old stutter's back. Not much good scribe school did you, huh?" Will had had enough at this point. "Oh, leave him alone, Horace!" He called, and practically shuddered as Horace's unnerving gaze found a new target.

"The little spy's talking, then!" He crowed, laughing. "I'm surprised you still can. I'd have thought by now, you'd just be following us around like the little creep you are." All of the ward mates were frowning now.

"Look, Horace, I don't see what the problem is. If we could all just agree to stop now, we-." Jenny started. Naturally, Horace didn't let her finish. "Ha! It's your fault anyways!" Horace cried. "You're the one that got everyone laughing and eating your stupid pies!"

Now, it was one thing to insult Jenny, Will, and George. It was another thing to insult Jenny's pies. "What," Jenny said darkly, "did you just say?" Horace sensed he had hit a nerve. "I said your pies are stupid. Why, what's wrong with that?" The look on the Battleschool apprentice's face just dared someone to speak. Will was the first to give in.

"That's insulting her craft, and completely falsely at that. Jenny's a great cook already! How would you feel if I told you that you fight like a bloated cow?" Will paused. Against his better judgment, continued. "Never mind. That wouldn't be false at all."

Horace growled. "What did you just say? I oughta-." Suddenly, something caught his eye. "What the hell is _that?" _He asked incredulously, pointing at Tug, who was approaching them steadily, obviously not liking Horace's threatening position.

Will glared at the apprentice warrior. "That's my horse." He said, and his eyes narrowed as Horace laughed. "That's not a horse! That's an overgrown sheepdog!" He cried. "I could ride that little thing with both hands behind my back!"

Will saw his opportunity. "Then why don't you?" He retorted, challenge clear in his voice. Horace scoffed, and made his way over to the shaggy pony. "I'll show _you, _Will!" The large boy called, mounting Tug with ease.

Instantly, a look flashed in the pony's eye. Will had learned the hard way what that meant. Tug leaped high into the air and twisted around violently. Horace flew from Tug's back clumsily, somewhat like an airborne elephant, and landed with a sickening _thud _on the ground.

Alyss, George, and Jenny looked on, terror in their eyes, and some number of people stopped to stare. Horace climbed to his feet quickly, face red. "YOU LITTLE RAT!" He roared, stepping towards the triumphantly smiling Will.

"Oh, calm down, Horace!" Will said, rolling his eyes. "We came here for _fun, _remember? Besides, you're making a scene." Horace's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. "_I'm _making a scene? You're the one that put me on that ratty sheepdog!"

Will was already walking away, shaking his head. He truly didn't want any more trouble. Unfortunately for the both of them, Horace wasn't quite done yet. "That's right! Walk away like the coward you are! Nobody wants you around anyways, Will the Wanderer!"

Horace began to laugh, but Will was already upon him. With the head start he had gained, he easily knocked Horace (and himself in the process) to the ground. "TAKE…IT…BACK!" He yelled as he frantically tried to hurt Horace, make him pay for all those times he'd been tormented.

The two boys rolled around, trying to gain an advantage. Will managed to get a blow to Horace's nose, which was bleeding nicely now. In turn, his lip had been busted, and was throbbing wildly. Horace had a major advantage. Though the bruises from his father's beatings had vanished long ago, there were still wild patches of ugly scars from the times beatings had gone too far.

Horace rolled him over, so that his scar-coated back struck a bed of rocks. In response, he kicked his former ward mate's stomach. "You're dead, Will! You hear me? _DEAD!" _Horace screamed as he landed a punch to Will's eye. Will gasped. This scene was all too familiar.

_-Flashback-_

_A twelve-year-old Will was carrying the week's groceries home. This was one of the weeks when he had earned a little more pay that usual for his jobs, so he could afford an extra slice of meat and loaf of bread from the market. _

_He hummed softly to himself as he walked through the back alleyways towards the woods where his cabin was. The sky was darkening, and Will was going along at a quickened pace. He didn't want to get home late and anger his father. Suddenly, a voice came from the shadows._

_"Hey, look, boys! It's little Will! And look what he's got!" Will cringed and turned to see the leader of the Triad._

_The Triad were a group of three boys who terrorized the village of Oaktown. They robbed stores, people, and homes. As well as this, they beat people simply for enjoyment. The Triad had never been caught in action before, only by their victims. They were certainly something to be feared._

_"Looks like some food…for us." Another threatened, stepping closer. Will tried to run, but it was too late. The three boys were upon him. Quickly, his sack of provisions was ripped away, and he was beaten again and again, in all the places he was already bruised._

_"HELP!" He called desperately, only to be hit again. Fortunately, help came. A guard quickly arrived, nearly catching one of the boys, but he was too late. The Triad was already running. "Get back here!" The guard shouted, chasing after them._

_As the Triad and the guard disappeared into the night, he heard the leader call with rage: "You're dead, Will! You hear me? DEAD!" Later that night, he walked home empty-handed, and was beaten again by his father._

_-End flashback-_

"BOYS! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!" The familiar sound of Sir Rodney's booming voice ripped him from his flashback. The two ward mates quickly scrambled to their feet to see the Battlemaster approaching them, Halt directly behind.

"What exactly was happening here?" Halt demanded, glaring at Will. "I' forry, Hal'." Will mumbled, trying to speak around his swollen lip. "Id wud jut a fighd." Horace added, blood pouring from his nose.

"I can see that!" Rodney cut in angrily. "But this is the Harvest Festival! Apologize now, both of you, or this will be the end of your apprenticeship!" Halt, still glaring at Will, shook his head. "I thought you were above this petty squabbling." He said coldly, and Will dropped his gaze to the ground, ashamed.

The two boys wanted nothing more than to tear each other to pieces, but they knew what was more important here. Reluctantly, they turned to one another and mumbled a quiet apology, shaking hands. Will glanced up at Horace, and the look in his eye told him that this dispute was definitely _not _settled yet.

**A/N: Thus ending my writing for the next 3 days :P anyways, thanks for all the wonderful things you do! Keep up the reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	6. Elena

**A/N: OLAF! IT'S ME, IFYOUCOULDFLY! Early update! Whoop whoop! So…I'm back. And a little sad. We did pretty poorly at the competition, and our worst enemies got to move on to the worldwide competition because of a stupid Wild Card. For the first time ever, we didn't get to go with them. Anyways, you didn't come here to read about my stupid life, you came here to read about the RA character's! That said, continue on…8D**

**-Chapter Five: Elena-**

Will fired, sending his arrow into the target with a satisfying _thunk_. He turned around expectantly, meeting the grim gaze of his mentor. "A hundred more." The Ranger demanded, and Will moaned softly.

"My arm still hurts, Halt." He mumbled, but there was no sympathy in the Ranger's eyes. "That's unfortunate. A hundred more." Halt said, and Will sighed, knowing better that to argue. After all, this was part of his punishment for fighting with Horace at the Harvest Festival.

He began firing arrows once more, only stopping when a scream pierced the air. Immediately, Halt was on his feet, bow in hand, and Will was running toward the fence. "Wait, Will! We don't know any-"

He was wrong. Will knew that scream.

_-Flashback-_

_Will was miserable and alone. Daniel was passed out on their couch, completely oblivious to the fact that it was son's twelfth birthday. The boy sighed and stared out the forest. Strangely, though he had lived here his entire life, it never felt like a home to him. It seemed as if his spirit was somewhere far away, somewhere he couldn't reach._

_Will let a few tears roll down his cheeks as he though once more of day four years ago, when his father held him tight, and they both cried together over the loss of someone who had meant the world to them. _

_Suddenly, a scream sounded out from below, and Will raised his head, wiping the tears away. Timidly, he looked down to see a girl about his age sprawled out on the ground. Quickly, he dropped from the tree and helped her to her feet._

_"Th-that man stole my bread!" She shouted angrily, jerking her hand away once she had been helped up. Will shuffled around awkwardly. "Do-erm-do you want me to get it back?" The girl glared at him. "I don't need _you _to anything for me!" Will dropped his gaze, and the girl softened. _

_"Sorry. I'm just a little shaken up. I don't think we could catch him anyways. I didn't see which way he went." She said, and Will grinned. "I doubt I'd be any help. I'm not exactly some muscular hero or anything." He gestured to his arms and legs, and the girl laughed. "You've got that right. You're like a bag of twigs! My name's Elena, by the way." The pair smiled at each other, and an instant friendship was formed._

_For the next eight months, Elena and Will met up every day they could. They were best friends, and nothing could tear them apart. Elena was Will's only companion, and vice versa. Elena was also the only person that Will had ever told about his father. For the first time since his fourth birthday, life seemed to be looking up. Then everything changed._

_Elena had showed up at their meeting place with tears streaming from her eyes. She told him that her parents had died in a fire, and she was being sent away to an orphanage in Picta. The two had cried, both knowing that this meant Will would again be alone with his father. _

_The next day, Will and Elena were separated, and never saw each other again. Once more, Will was alone in the world._

_-End Flashback-_

The scream was the exact one Will had heard three years before. Of course, he couldn't be certain. She had been sent to Picta, after all. Still, he had to be certain.

All his uncertainty vanished as a girl burst through the dense forest. Her eyes widened in recognition as they met Will's. Within a few seconds, she was vaulting over the gate. For a moment, all three stood completely still; Halt in confusion, Will in shock, and Elena was still trying to catch her breath.

Finally, Elena turned to Will. "What the hell, Will?! What are doing here? Do you have _any _idea what's happening right now back at home? Again, why are you here? No, never mind, it's better you're here. Actually, it would be better if you were further away. Let me stress that, actually, YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE. NOW. I mean, you're da-"

"Elena!" Will cut in, making a slight nod in Halt's direction. "Stop. First, what are _you _doing here? I thought you were in Picta!" Elena smiled. "I was adopted. Horrible people, they were. Just wanted me for the work, so I escaped and went looking for you. Didn't expect to find you here, though. I was just heading to Celtica."

Will nodded. "Well, that explains that, but what was with the screaming and running?" Elena laughed. "Our reunion starts the same way as our meeting, I suppose. There was a wild boar back there in the woods. I didn't see it till I'd stepped all over its home, and by then it was mad. Lost it, I'm pretty sure. You guys really should do something about that." Will laughed, relieved that Elena hadn't changed much since they last saw each other.

"Well, I apologize for interrupting whatever this is, but I'd prefer if I had an explanation of what the heck you're talking about." Halt cut in, and Will finally jerked his head away. "Well, um, this is Elena. She…she used to live with my foster family."

Halt glanced deep into his apprentice's eyes. Over the last few months, Will had grown very close to him. He admired the boy greatly, but at times, it seemed that the apprentice was hiding something, and this was one of those times.

Halt quickly shrugged the feeling off. "Might as well come in for lunch, then. I get the feeling you two have some catching up to do." With that, the Ranger turned and walked briskly inside the cabin.

**PAGEBREAK BEIN' PAGEBREAK. SIIIIIIGH NARWHALS IM BORED**

Elena stared at Will, eyes wide. He had just explained all that had happened since his fourteenth birthday in a hushed tone. Halt was in the kitchen making lunch, but Will needed to be safe.

"Well?" He asked expectantly. "What exactly is so troubling?" Elena took a deep breath, then began in an equally soft tone. "When I arrived in Oaktown, there were posters _everywhere._ They all had your face on them. Stuff like "MISSING BOY" and all that. Things got weird when your dad showed up. He saw me and went berserk, trying to kill me or something! He kept asking where you were, and I was horribly worried…everyone thought you were dead, or kidnapped! Oh, don't look so worried, he didn't hurt me!"

Will smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. But why exactly do I have to escape to Celtica with you and your…boyfriend?" Will grinned deviously at the word, he had already teased Elena greatly when she had told him earlier. After giving the apprentice a glare, Elena continued.

"Your dad and his meathead gang are after you, that's for sure. The guards have ignored this mostly, but after a string of kidnappings in the area and it's been about a year since you're disappearance, they're going to start assisting in the search. You'll surely be found here, Will. It's just not safe."

***Halt***

Halt finished up lunch and was about to step into the room and call them to the table, but stopped when he heard Will's voice.

"And do what? Being a Ranger's apprentice is the only thing I've ever been good at, and Redmont is the only place I've ever been accepted. I have friends here, friends that are like family. If I go to Celtica with you, I'll be a burden. I'm sorry, Elena, but I can't."

The girl-Elena-cut in. "Will, I've already told you! They'll find you in no time, and then you'll be done for! They'll drag you back kicking and screaming if they have to!" Halt frowned at this. _"Danger?" _He thought. _"Why would Will be in danger?" _

"No, that won't happen." He heard Will say. "How do you know that?" Elena asked uncertainly. "Halt won't let them." His apprentice answered surely, and Halt smiled from behind the wall. For some stupid reason, knowing that Will put so much trust in him was comforting.

**PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGEBREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK**

Lunch passed by much too quickly for both Will and Elena's liking, and soon it was time for a farewell.

"Goodbye, Will. And good luck to you in everything." Elena called. "And the best of luck to you in Celtica." Will responded. Elena smiled that familiar smile and began to walk off. She only got a few paces before Will called her name.

Elena turned around, question in her eyes. "I won't see you again, will I?" Will called softly, and Elena just shook her head slowly. Will smiled softly. "I thought so. Goodbye, Elena." Elena laughed. "Goodbye, Will." And she was off, running down the path to Celtica.

Halt watched as Will smiled his sad smile, and a pang of recognition struck him. He looked just like somebody…but Halt just couldn't remember. He finally shrugged the thought away, and once the girl was gone, called out to Will.

"We're going to have to deal with that boar, of course."

**A/N: Well that was a long chapter. Now I'm all tired :P. Anyways, I included Elena because I needed Will to learn the situation at home, _not _to be a girlfriend figure (hence the reason she had a boyfriend)! So on that note, keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	7. Boar Hunting

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! _Wow. _I'm such a procrastinator. I promised myself I would sit down and write, cuz I wanted to upload today (which is Monday, which is not the today you will be thinking of as you read this. That is, if you care enough to…heck, I wouldn't!), but I waited till the last moment as usual. _Sigh. _Alright, go ahead and read…**

**-Chapter Six: Boar Hunting-**

"Yes, sir?" Horace asked quickly, stepping into the Battlemaster's office. It was as he expected it to be; more like a homely cabin than an office. The young apprentice had never been here before, and his stomach was churning. Did this have to do with the fight? Was he going to be punished? Or worse, expelled? Horace shuddered, and Rodney spoke up.

"How do you feel about a boar hunt, Horace?" Sir Rodney asked, and Horace perked up. "F-fantastic!...sir!" The apprentice answered cheerily, and his mentor smiled. "Good. I take it you've never been on one, so just stick close to the group. You'll be there more to observe than anything else, but it will be good experience."

Horace nodded eagerly and walked happily back to his room. A boar hunt! _"Just wait till those buffoons Alda, Bryn, and Jerome hear!" _Horace thought, then sighed as he rounded the corner. "Speak of the devil…or devils, rather." He muttered. The three were already waiting for him, grinning maliciously.

**HEY, IT'S PAGEBREAK! OH, AND I LOVE U TO, HALT-FINATIC378! I'VE NEVER HAD A FAN BEFORE…I'M SO FAMOUS NOW (me: oh great, see what you've done? You've given Pagebreak a big head _*sigh_…)**

Will swayed atop Tug, keeping perfectly in time with the pony's smooth gait. He was practically exploding with excitement (and to Halt's dismay, questions). As he and Halt approached the larger group they were to join, his mood darkened. As if he wasn't nervous enough, Horace was here to torment him.

Horace's gaze met his, and both pairs of eyes narrowed. Noticing Will's changed expression, Halt grunted. "Don't do anything stupid." He muttered, then nudged Abelard into a steady canter, Will at his heels (or hooves, rather).

The group rode on for some time, deeper and deeper into the forest. During this time, Will and Horace tried to ignore each other as much as possible. Suddenly, this became very difficult.

A loud squeal came from ahead of them, and a wild boar, presumably the one that chased Elena, cut directly through the line of hunters. Fortunately, each one of the men steered to either the left or right just in time, escaping the boar's tusks. Unfortunately, this caused a moment of utter chaos in which horses flew in all directions, some nearly falling off a nearby ledge.

Once the group settled and reformed, Baron Arald's dogs were released to do their job. The ferocious canines growled menacingly at the boar, who squealed in response. While the boar was distracted, one Battleschool apprentice, a fourth-year, leaped into action, promptly slicing the boar's stomach.

The wounded beast grunted loudly in agony, moving to kill the apprentice, but never reached him. A swift slice in the boar's neck ended the hunt.

There was much cheering in response, and the apprentice beamed proudly. "Good work, boy!" Rodney called, and the apprentice ducked his head, blushing madly, grin still on his face. The congratulations and back-patting continued for some time until one of the Battlemasters frowned.

"Wait a minute, where's Horace? And that little Ranger kid?" He asked, and the group fell silent. Halt's heart nearly stopped when he remembered the ledge. It was only a ten foot drop, but that was enough to seriously injure a horse.

Just then, a quick, frantic snort came from over by the ledge. The men turned toward the noise, and there stood both Will and Horace's horses, looking completely confused and a little shaken.

***Will/Horace***

Will groaned softly as Horace rode up next to him. "What's _your _problem?" Horace asked accusingly, snorting quietly. Will glared at him.

"Will you _please _forget about it, just for now?" The apprentice Ranger muttered, and Horace shrugged. "Fine. But just for now. Because afterwards, I'll personally-"

A loud squeal cut them off, and they looked forward to see the group splitting down the middle, revealing an incredibly unhappy looking boar charging straight for them. Unfortunately for the both of them, the horse Horace was borrowing was quite inexperienced, and so when it saw the boar, it tuned in to its natural instinct: run.

The horse veered to the side, straight into Tug, taking both riders by surprise. Horace rammed against Will as he flew from the saddle, knocking them both off of the nearby ledge.

Will screamed in pain as the massive boy landed directly on top him, completely knocking the wind out of him and splitting open a few of his half-healed injuries. He gasped for breath, smacking Horace rapidly in hopes of getting him to move.

Horace climbed up awkwardly, massaging his aching back and glaring at Will. Once Will had regained his breath, he looked back at Horace incredulously. "What are you glaring at _me _for?! It was your stupid horse's fault!" Will coughed, tenderly holding one particular scar his father had given him on his fourteenth, one that was bleeding madly at the moment.

"Whatever! How're we getting back up? How come they haven't hear us yet?!" Horace rambled, and Will rolled his eyes. "How _could _they over all that racket?" Will shouted back, wincing, and Horace frowned, realizing his old ward mate was right. The dogs' barking and the boar's squealing, not to mention the shouts and whinnies of the horses, was almost deafening.

The boys sat down, glaring at each other silently, waiting for the battle to end. Finally, the voices dropped away, and they heard a man ask: "Wait a minute, where's Horace? And that little Ranger kid?"

The pair glanced at each other, before Horace asked loudly, "Are you gonna say something, or do I have to?" Will glared at Horace. "I _would, _had you not CRUSHED MY RIBS." Will retorted, and Horace rolled his eyes, mimicking Will.

"How is that _my _fault? I didn't exactly PLAN for this!" Horace cried, and Will scoffed. "Maybe you should keep your horse in control, then." Will sneered, and Horace glared. "And you as well! That overgrown sheepdog was just as bad!" It was Will's turn to glare now. "Excuse me?" Will cried. "I can't quite hear you! It must be my lightheadedness…which I wouldn't _have _if I hadn't just lost half my blood thanks to you!"

Suddenly, a cough came from overhead, and they looked up to see the boar hunters (including Baron Arald, Sir Rodney, and Halt) peering over the ledge. Embarrassed, the pair shut their mouths. After a few moments of awkward silence, Horace spoke up.

"Um-hi. I g-guess that we weren't much help, but…" Horace kept talking, but Will wasn't listening. He instead tuned into the sounds of the forest. The softly rustling leaves. A slight, but all the same heavy, breath from the undergrowth. The rustling leaves beginning to crunch just barely louder. That was enough for Will.

He interrupted Horace mid-explanation. "Move, Horace." He said quickly, fear in his voice. The apprentice looked at him, confused. "Excuse m-?" "I SAID MOVE, DAMNIT!" Will shouted, launching himself at his former ward mate.

Just then, a boar, much larger than the massive one the hunters above had faced, burst through the trees, squealing madly. Fortunately for Horace, Will's quick reaction saved him from a gruesome injury. Unfortunately for Will, as he shoved Horace to the ground, the boar's tusk, originally aimed for Horace's chest, managed to cut into Will's ankle.

The apprentice screamed in agony as he fell to the ground, and immediately Horace was on his feet, sword drawn.

He stepped forward and slashed at the boar's chest, landing the blow perfectly. The boar squealed and retaliated, moving for Horace's right leg. The boy twisted around like an expert, carefully avoiding the attack and landing another perfect strike to the boar's backside.

Just when the fight seemed to be going his way, the boar suddenly spun around, surprising Horace. The boy took a step back, and tripped in the process. He fell to the ground, exposing every part of himself. It was over.

The boar, sensing his chance, charged. Horace shut his eyes, ready for his death. At least he had fought.

A second passed…then another…how was he not dead yet? Carefully, Horace pried his eyes open and nearly gasped. The boar was lying in front of him, dead. A long arrow was protruding from its chest. A perfect shot, right in its heart.

He looked up to see Will limping awkwardly toward him, wincing with every step. The Ranger apprentice smiled awkwardly when he reached Horace. "You 'll righ'?" He mumbled, and Horace laughed incredulously.

"Am _I _all right?You're the one that had your damn leg impaled!" Horace cried, and climbed slowly to his feet. Will nodded slowly. "Yeah…I gue' your righ'..." He mumbled, then looked up to the spectators. "Well, I gue' tha' wa' dramatic." He laughed, then abruptly stopped.

"Aw, damnit…." He sighed, and promptly fainted. Halt was already there to catch him.

**A/N: Boar hunts! Hehe…I was considering writing a different way where Horace and Will didn't become friends like FarmersDaughter suggested, but I decided it seemed more natural this way :). Anyways, thanks to all of you guys! You really do make a huge difference, even by just READING this! Keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	8. A Hand in the Dark

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So there was a _lot _of confusion on that last chappie. Sorry bout that! When I was copying/pasting, something went wrong and it deleted a sentence that most of you were confuzzled about (the one where Will's scar is bleeding). Well, it just had an extra bit that explained that the patch of skin had been torn open again in the fight at the Harvest Festival, and now it was torn open again at the boar hunt (jeez, how much can one little scar/bruise/thing/I know scars can't bleed/take?). This is the longest A/N ever (at least for me) so just go ahead and read :P**

**Chapter Seven: A Hand in the Dark**

Will was nervous. Each day, Halt grew more and more suspicious of him. He never said anything, but Will could see it in his eyes. A slight spark of curiosity, a little shake of the head. It wouldn't be long before the questions would start. And what would happen if he found out? Will shuddered. He had grown so fond of Redmont, he truly didn't want to leave.

"Will!" Halt called, jerking Will back into reality. "Yes?" He asked quickly, and Halt sighed. "I _said, _we're nearing the Gathering. You might try letting your mind stay in Araluen for once." The Ranger turned Abelard, and Will quickly followed on Tug, smiling as he realized he felt no pain as lightly kicked his pony. After the boar's tusk had torn open his ankle a month ago, it was difficult to ride. Thankfully, the wound had healed, and Will was alright.

Suddenly, Halt held up a hand. "Get off the trail." He whispered urgently, and Will responded immediately, quickly leading Tug behind the trees and dismounting. "What is it?" He whispered frantically, and Halt smiled. "My old apprentice. Quick, get in that tree." Will smiled evilly and climbed quickly, anxious to meet Halt's previous apprentice.

Will sat atop the tree, hidden perfectly by the dense leaves. He sat and waited, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of the Ranger, but found nothing. Finally, he spotted a figure creep out of the foliage on the opposite side of the road. Will frowned. He hadn't seen anyone approaching. Strange.

He couldn't see the stranger's face, but watched in amusement as the tall figure crept up behind his mentor, seemingly oblivious to Will. Finally, he heard a voice say from behind the hood; "Hello, Halt."

Will frowned. That voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it. He shrugged and watched, waiting for his chance.

"Oh. Hello." His mentor said, not bothering to turn around. The cloaked Ranger sighed. "And I thought I'd actually got you this time." Halt smiled. "Well, apparently not, seeing as I'm the one that got you."

Will couldn't see the hooded face, but he was fairly certain that it was frowning. "What do you mean, you got me? You didn't g-."

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past his face, so close it nearly tore his hood. The arrow landed with a _thunk_ in a nearby tree, and the Ranger turned in shock to see a small figure perched on a tall tree limb.

Will smiled broadly. "Gilan!" He called cheerily, neatly vaulting from the branch and landing squarely on the ground. Gilan smiled in return. "How come every time I see you, you're in a tree?" He called, and Will rushed up to meet him.

Halt raised his eyebrow. "Hold on, you already know each other? Did I miss some extra Gathering or something?" He asked, and Will laughed. "I thought you were all-knowing, Halt! _Nothing _can escape the gaze of the seven-foot-tall, fire-breathing, Wargal-eating Halt!" He cried in mock fear, smiling as Gilan cracked up.

"Well, I like this apprentice." A voice called, and they spun around to see another Ranger. "Oh, great." Halt muttered. "Now _Crowley's _here to rub it in." The Ranger, Crowley, smiled and turned to Will.

"I assume you're Will." He started, and Will nodded. "Well, I'm Crowley, the Ranger Commandant. Halt's spoken very highly of you." Immediately, Will snapped to attention. "Oh! I'm sorry, sir. It's great to meet you sir, I…wait, he has?" Will babbled, turning to Halt suspiciously. "Aw, Halt, you _do _care!" He cooed, trying to annoy his mentor. It worked.

"I most certainly do _not." _Halt frowned, setting his lips in a thin line that meant _"You'd better stop talking now"_. Gilan chose to ignore this. "Oh, don't listen to him. He's really just a big cuddly teddy bear on the inside." The group laughed, and Halt's eyes narrowed.

"I am, am I? Well, looks like I'll just have to prove you wrong." He muttered, and the Rangers fell silent. Halt was starting to scare them. Seeing he had their attention, he began to step towards them, eyes glinting evilly. Quickly, Will whistled.

Tug barreled around the corner, and Will vaulted on his back. "HAVE FUN, SUCKERS!" He cried, and Gilan followed shortly after, leaving Crowley alone to face Halt's wrath.

**…(Um…Pagebreak, this is where you come in) NO WAY. I'M TOO BIG A STAR NOW. EVERYONE LOVES ME, WHY SHOULD I DO YOUR DIRTY WORK? (you just did) OH. POOP.**

Halt watched as Will laughed along with the other apprentices, sharing stories of his own apprenticeship and the adventures that it included. "He has quite the way with people, doesn't he?" Gilan said, appearing beside him.

Halt nodded. "He does." A silence passed between them before Halt spoke up again. "By the way, how _did_ you meet?"

Gilan smiled. "Well, I was coming to visit Baron Arald and heard some noises coming from a tree. Turns out it was Will. We talked a while, then I took him back to the ward. He kept talking about the Choosing Day, and how he wanted to be a knight. Kind of a twist there, huh?"

Halt nodded, and Gilan frowned. "Come to think of it…the noises sounded a little like crying. And his eyes were a little red…though I don't know why he would be crying." Halt raised and eyebrow. "Sometimes, I wonder if that boy is keeping something from me. Something big." Gilan shot him a look, question in his eyes. Halt glanced at him, then began to explain.

"Sir Rodney and I found him nearly two years ago, on the side of the road. He looked injured and very tired. He told us that his foster parents had died recently, and he was just a wanderer. I never quite believed him though. There was always something in his eyes, no matter how happy he seemed, something deep and sad, like he was carrying a great burden."

He paused to think, and Gilan's frown deepened. Now that he thought about it, Halt was exactly right, which left him wondering: _"What does Will have to hide?" _Halt watched his apprentice for a moment, trying to study his actions. Finally, he sighed and continued.

"Recently, a girl showed up at our cabin after being chased by a boar. I obviously don't know much about her, but I know that she was one of Will's friends from before he arrived in Redmont. She and Will talked for a while, very quietly. At one point, I was about to walk into the room and couldn't help but overhear part of their conversation. Will was saying something about refusing to leave with her to go to Celtica, and the girl, Elena, protested that Will was in danger and couldn't hide forever."

Again, Halt stopped and frowned, shaking his head sadly. After a long silence, he spoke up again, voicing the thought Gilan had had only a minute before. "What does Will have to hide?"

**YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M LEAVING TO PURSUE MY DREAMS AS A POP STAR! AT LEAST IN HOLLYWOOD, I CAN GIVE MY FANS WHAT THEY WANT. (Wait, you're kidding right? Nobody wants that!) SHUT UP!**

Will smiled softly. For once, his life seemed nearly perfect. He had an apprenticeship, friends, and his own little substitute family. Now, as he gazed up at the stars, he could think nothing but happy thoughts.

He glanced around. The other Rangers and apprentices had fallen asleep already, even Halt. He sighed contentedly, and as the embers of the crackling fire nearby dimmed, his eyelids drooped and he prepared to drift off into a dream…

Suddenly, Will's eyes flew open, and he kicked about wildly. A hand had emerged from the darkness and was clasped over his mouth and nose. He grabbed the arm and pulled, desperately trying to call out to the Rangers.

He realized with alarm that he was being dragged away. "Hush now, Will, or you won't get a breath." After dragging Will for a while longer, about a minute, the man took his hand away. Before Will could cry out, a gag was shoved in his mouth by another shadowy man, and a different one tied him to a nearby tree. _"At least I can breathe," _he thought miserably.

"Now, Will. Do you recognize us?" The voice muttered, and Will nearly gasped as three faces came into view: The Triad.

"That's right." One boy sneered, the leader. "You know us as The Triad. But around Redmont, we're known by our names. Alda," he said, gesturing to himself, "Bryn, and Jerome. Oh, and Will, we don't appreciate what you did back in Oaktown."

Will shuddered, remembering the haunting promise Alda had made as they ran off into the night.

"We were nearly caught,_ Will. _We had to leave Oaktown and apply for Battleschool in Redmont. We don't appreciate that, Will." Bryn cut in. "And now," added Jerome, "You're gonna pay. Cause you're gonna _wish _we'd kill you tonight."

Alda smirked at Will's panicked eyes. "That's right, baby. We're gonna tell your daddy where you are. Then you'll be sorry. You'll be runnin', just like us." With that, Alda drew his fist back and punched Will in the gut, hard.

Will would have cried out, but the gag prevented him from making a sound. Before he could move to protect himself (which was very difficult, seeing as he was tied to a tree), another fist swung at him from the darkness, then another, then another.

Over and over, knuckles smashed against his chest, nails raked at his flesh, and his breath was ripped away by kicks to his stomach. What was even more painful was the fact that help was so close, but would not be coming. Even worse, he knew this would be nothing compared to what his father would do to him when he arrived. Finally, the attacks ceased. But only for a moment.

"Alright, baby's had enough. For tonight. Night-night, baby!" Alda cooed mockingly, drawing back his fist. It met Will's chest with a sickening smack, and the apprentice fell into unconsciousness. Jerome grinned and plucked Alda's dart, which had been carefully concealed by his fist, out of Will's chest, and they grinned in satisfaction.

Slowly, they dragged Will back to the camp and set him down just where he used to be and, with surprising litheness, disappeared into the trees once more.

**A/N: So…stuff's going down…hehe. I know it's not very likely that Alda, Bryn, and Jerome could be so stealthy, but…whatever. Well, anyways, I'd better go. I've got to go find Pagebreak. Last I saw him, he was yelling something about American Idol, then he jumped on a bus and left. So keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	9. Runaway Ranger

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So…I'm sorry if I uploaded this kinda late, but a horse at our barn that had a foal a couple weeks ago died and I'm trying to figure some stuff out. And to end that depressing moment…HOLY FREAKING MOTHER OF HALT. I unlocked my phone to see 18 alerts…ALL FROM FANFICTION! I love you guys so much… :)**

**-Chapter Eight: Runaway Ranger-**

A hand touched Will's shoulder, wrenching him from his dreamless slumber. Immediately, he jerked upward, and screamed in agony as his bruised skin responded, reminding him of the previous night.

He whipped his head around to see Halt, who had one eyebrow raised, hand still hovering in the air. Will gulped, embarrassed. "…sorry. Just…a bad dream." He mumbled, and Halt frowned, clearly skeptical, but decided to settle it later.

"Right. Well, get ready for some target practice. There's an extra quiver in the tents. I'll see you at the range in ten minutes." Halt said, then turned and walked away, casting Gilan a look as he walked. It seemed like a, _"See what I mean" _look.

Will frowned and slowly climbed to his feet, wincing and grunting as he did so. He wasn't aware that Halt and Gilan were watching as he did this. As Will limped towards the tents, Halt frowned. Finally, he and Gilan turned around and headed towards the target range.

When Will was certain he was alone, he changed his course from the tents to the stables, limping as fast as he could, gritting his teeth with every step.

He arrived at the stables with no trouble, but now came the hard part. Two Rangers were at the entryway on the opposite side of the barn, and Will would have to find a way to climb onto Tug and ride away without alerting them.

Slowly, Will shuffled towards Tug's stall, trying to make as little noise as possible. He glanced up warily and was relieved to see that neither Ranger had noticed him yet. He continued, a little more confidently this time.

He arrived at Tug's stall and placed a finger to his lips, motioning for him to be silent. The pony glanced at him curiously as Will began to attempt climbing the stall door, and immediately regretted it.

His newly formed bruises screamed out in pain, and a gasp nearly escaped his lips. Panicked, he spun his head around. The Rangers were still in deep conversation, totally oblivious to Will, and he rolled his eyes. _"They must be new." _Will thought.

Will glanced around, thinking. Even if he managed to climb Tug's stall, he'd still have to open the stall door, which had a creaky hinge. The Rangers would certainly hear _that. _But maybe the other stalls weren't as noisy….

An idea was forming in Will's mind, and he decided to test it. With barely a sound, Will crept towards Abelard's stall. He arrived without alerting the Rangers, and smiled to himself. He grasped the lever and pulled, the door swinging open soundlessly.

Abelard stared at him quizzically. Will approached the horse and whispered in its ear, "I need you to find Halt."

Abelard stood still, looking into Will's eyes. He recognized a look of pleading urgency. The horse was tempted to run to Halt, just for the boy's sake, but remained rooted to the ground. As a seasoned Ranger horse, he could tell that Will was up to something, and knew it was something that Halt wouldn't be pleased with. But he looked so desperate…

"Please." Will whispered, tears beginning to form in his eyes. That was enough for the horse. Abelard, with a loud whinny, burst out of the stall, flying down the hall. The Rangers at the entryway stared in shock, then took off after the horse.

Will smiled softly. _"Thank you." _He thought, as if sending a message to Abelard, then limped quickly towards Tug's stall. He flew open the door and quickly threw on Tug's saddle and bridle. "We're leaving, boy." He announced, then (with great difficulty) managed to hoist himself up onto his pony's back.

**(Well, well, well. What happened to that American Idol fiasco of yours?) I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT.**

The target range was in chaos. Rangers frantically tried to calm down Abelard, who leading them on quite the chase. Not even Halt could convince his normally level-headed horse to settle down.

After a full minute of Abelard being nothing short of psychotic, the horse suddenly calmed and stared at something off in the distance. Halt immediately snatched Abelard's reins. "What's with you?" Halt asked. "Um…Halt?" Gilan muttered, and Halt directed his attention to the direction Gilan was pointing.

The sight was certainly a shocking one. A grey streak was tearing across the clearing, approaching the woods faster than one would have thought possible. Atop this grey blur was a figure, hood pulled far over his face, cloak flying in the wind. It was Will.

"What the hell's gotten into that boy?" Crowley wondered aloud, but Halt wasn't there to hear it. He had already mounted Abelard and was riding after Will.

**(So you're just crawling back to me now, huh? Do I get an _apology_?) FINE. I'M SORRY. NOW SHUT UP.**

Halt cursed under his breath as he rode, defeated, back to the Gathering Grounds. Will and Tug had gotten a head start and he'd never even gotten close to them. It was almost as if Abelard were helping them escape.

He entered camp, giving the Rangers his "If-You-Say-Anything-I'll-Fire-An-Arrow-Through-Yo ur-Skull" look. That night, as he drifted off to sleep, he wondered if he'd ever see his apprentice again.

**OK. PAGEBREAK HERE. I ADMIT THAT I AM STUPID, OBNOXIOUS, AND CANNOT SING. I SHOULD PROBABLY SOAK MY HEAD IN A TOILET. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? (Quite.)**

Will leaped off of Tug's back and strode over to a very confused Alyss.

"Will? What's wrong? I thought you were off doing Ranger stu-." Alyss was rudely cut off by a kiss. For a moment, the two stood there, refusing to let go, before Will pried his lips away.

"I'm leaving." He whispered, then turned to Lady Pauline, who was standing, shocked, behind them. "Please, Lady Pauline, would you tell Halt that I'm sorry?" He asked, and Pauline nodded, confused.

"Goodbye, Alyss. I've always loved you." Will said softly, then turned and sprang up onto Tug's back. "And Alyss? Tell Horace, Jenny, and George that they're the greatest friends I've ever had."

With that, he was gone, riding off into the night, leaving Alyss and Lady Pauline to stare after him in shock.

**WOW. THERE'S WAY TOO MANY PAGEBREAKS IN HERE. (I'm overworking you. It's part of your punishment.)**

A twig snapped, and Will jumped into consciousness. "Wha-whosthere?" He cried, hand on his bow. Tug was alert and wary, meaning that there was danger nearby. Will's eyes moved in a circle, looking for the unseen threat.

Suddenly, a hand grasped his shoulder, pulling him back into the trees. Will kicked and struggled, but it was no use, his captor was strong.

Will heard a frantic whinny pierce the air. "Tug…no..." He moaned, and his captor smacked him. "Don't speak unless spoken to, boy." The unfamiliar voice growled, and Will instantly obeyed.

After what seemed like hours of being dragged by the man, he was hoisted upward and placed in the back of a cart. He felt weight being placed upon him as he was concealed by sacks of vegetables. With a start, the cart began to move forward, bumping and jerking along the road.

As they moved along the road, Will felt tears forming in his eyes. _"Look at me, a captured Ranger's apprentice…." _He thought, then corrected himself. _"No. I'm not a Ranger any more. I'm a runaway. I'm a failure. I'm just Will the Wanderer, with no place in this world."_

He began to silently cry himself to sleep. Just as he was about to slip into another dreamless sleep, he heard a voice of one of his captors.

"Daniel didn't mention he was a Ranger's apprentice. Morgarath will be pleased."

**A/N: Bum bum bum! And more stuff goes down… :O! Sorry this was a really choppy chappie (hehe that sounds cool) but I'm in a little bit of a rush, and if I don't upload now, I won't be able to until Monday, and I can't do that to you guys after that last cliffie. So thanks for being tolerant of me :)! Keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	10. Face to Face

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! I AM EXPANDING THIS STORY. I AM GOING TO BE INCORPORATING LITTLE BITS OF BOOK 2 (VERY LITTLE BITS) INTO THIS FANFIC. Anyways, thanks for the reviews and sympathies :). And yes, the baby is okay, she's already eating hay and alfalfa, and she's really open and friendly. We've also introduced her to one of the older geldings to act as a parental figure, and they already have a bond forming. On that happy note, read on!**

**-Chapter Nine: Face to Face-**

Will was faintly aware of something…a steady drumming. Was he at a concert? No, the drumming was coming from inside his head. He groaned softly, and managed to pry his eyes open, and was alarmed to find he couldn't see.

After a few moments of panic, spots of blurry light began to rupture the blackness. Soon, a smeared image had formed. He blinked a few times, and his eyes began to adjust, his pounding headache slowly fading.

He realized that the smudged figure in front of him was growing closer. It stopped before him and leaned down, face inches from his. "I see you're awake." The figure stated, and Will moaned.

Where was he? He racked his brain before remembering his capture, and even worse, his fleeing from the Gathering. _"Oh, God. I was so stupid!" _He thought.

"Now, I'll just state up front, you will address me as nothing other than Lord Morgarath." The man sneered, and Will's eyes widened in fear. For so many years, the name Morgarath had been a part of countless scary stories. It was spoken with a shudder, or a grimace, and often was not voiced at all out of fear. And now here they were, face to face.

"And in addition," Morgarath began again, "I must inform you that your father is here." A pin could have dropped. Will gulped, watching as Morgarath grinned. The former baron obviously had a love for dramatics.

"And if you defy me, I intend to turn you over to him. He is not yet aware of your capture, but I assure you that he won't be pleased when you are reunited." Morgarath sneered again, and Will cast his eyes to the floor, unable to endure his goading stare.

Instantly, a sickening _smack _sounded through the room, and Will cried out. He twisted violently away from the whip that had just made contact with his back. He cringed as Morgarath laughed sharply.

"I expect you to look me in the eye, _Ranger._" He spat the word as if it were poisonous. "Now, let's begin. So tell me, where _is _that mysterious place you Rangers love? The Gathering Grounds, I believe it is?"

Thus began the longest day of Will's young life.

**HERE YOU GO! I'M BREAKING THE PAGE! THAT'S ALL I'M GOOD FOR, AFTER ALL!**

"What do you mean, _no_?" Halt exclaimed, glaring at the exasperated Crowley before him.

Crowley sighed. "Halt, I'm sorry, but the Kalkara have been sighted nearby, and a war is brewing. You can't go running off to find your apprentice now."

Halt growled. "We have forty-nine other Rangers!" He cried impatiently, and Crowley just shook his head sadly. "None of them are Halt. Listen, we need you right now. The _kingdom_ needs you. I'm sorry."

Halt sighed sadly and stared down at his boots. "Fine. But as soon as this business is over, I'm going to Celtica to find Will." He had no doubt in his mind that that was where Will would go. After all, his friend Elena had openly invited him.

"Well, Halt, there's a thought that's crossed my mind." Crowley began timidly, and Halt arched his brow, eyes asking him to continue. With a deep breath, the commandant complied. "Maybe Will doesn't _want _to be found." Halt was silent, and Crowley took that as an invitation to explain.

"He ran away from us, hastily I might add. He hasn't been your apprentice for too long, either. Maybe he just wasn't ready to be a Ranger, but was too ashamed to tell you." He glanced at his companion cautiously.

Halt's expression was as bleak as it always was, but his eyes showed his thoughts. They were switching between disbelief, hurt, and fear. Finally, Crowley's old friend shook his head determinedly. "No." Halt stated bluntly, then turned to prepare for the upcoming Kalkara hunt.

Crowley sighed. _"Sometimes," _he thought, _"I just can't stand Halt."_

**(Oh, c'mon, don't be like that, Pagebreak! The fans love you!) YOU'RE A LIAR. NOBODY LOVES ME!**

Blood spilled again onto the cement, and Morgarath sighed. "You Rangers are such a stubborn type. And a shame, too. It tends to cause everybody trouble." He glanced at the half-conscious apprentice before him and scoffed.

"Well, it seems we'll just have to take him with us." His tormenter decided nonchalantly, then stepped away to his rooms.

_"What? Where are we going?"_ Will thought as he began to fall into unconsciousness. Just thinking seemed painful to him at this point.

His back was a horrible sight, a splattered collection of black, purple, and red. There were swollen lumps all along his spine that slowly oozed blood, and purple splotches from the fists that beat down upon him by some unseen torturer. If anyone were to see him now, they would certainly fall sick at the sight of him.

Suddenly, a large fist grabbed Will's arm, then another. They tugged the chains that had bound him away, and dragged him off. They certainly weren't gentle about it. Will tried to cry out in pain each time they tugged on him too hard, each time they jerked him upward just to laugh at his tears.

"Alright, _baby_, looks like Lord Morgarath's decided to take you along." A voice, which Will recognized as Bryn, mocked. "Just don't expect to get off easy. Today's only the first day, after all." Jerome cut it, shoving him into a poorly constructed prison cell.

"Night-night, baby!" Alda cried, laughing as the group walked away. Just as they were going to leave, Alda looked back to the cell. "There's a war brewing, Will. And you're gonna be right in the middle of it."

**(Pagebreak, just look at the reviews! There are like, NINE reviewers all worshipping you! They love you Pagebreak! I mean seriously. Most amazing people EVER. I LOVE LOVE LOVE ALL MA REVIEWERS!) OH….GUESS YOU'RE RIGHT…THANKS GUYS!**

King Duncan rubbed his temples, leaning back into his throne. This whole business with Morgarath was becoming increasingly troublesome. He spent long nights wondering and worrying if tomorrow would be the day that war broke out.

He let out a deep sigh and shook his head, deciding to let himself relax, if only for a moment. In all reality, he would prefer that Morgarath appear right now, rather than drag out the anticipation. At that moment, a courier burst through the doors.

"My Lord," The graceful Lady Pauline said with a respectful curtsy, "Morgarath is on the move." Immediately, King Duncan let out a loud sigh. "Oh, thank the Lord!" He cried, receiving a few puzzled looks from the courtroom.

Miles away, Crowley was receiving the same news, and was already rallying the Rangers.

And even further away, a small boy, much too small for the pressure on his shoulders, was marching in chains alongside his fellow prisoners, listening to the Wargals' chanting.

**A/N: I AM EXPANDING THIS STORY. I AM GOING TO BE INCORPORATING LITTLE BITS OF BOOK 2 (VERY LITTLE BITS) INTO THIS FANFIC. Sorry, had to say that twice in case you didn't get that the first time…ANYWAYS IM SO SO SORRY I DIDN'T UPLOAD SOONER BUT LIFE SUUUUUCKS :P. Anywho, keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	11. Yet Another Escape

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY!...whoa. This is already 10 chapters long, and even better, my MOST REVIEWED STORY YET! Thank you _so _much for all the awesome stuff you do :D! Sooooooo….wazzup? :P I'm sorry I've been so busy lately, but….ya. Today kinda sucked for me, so I'm just gonna jump right into the story.**

**-Chapter 10: Yet Another Escape-**

He clutched his stale bread fiercely, determined not to take a bite. _"Maybe just a little piece…I'm so hungry…" _Will thought, then shook his head. _"No! This is the only food you have! You must save it!" _

Arguing with himself seemed to be his only occupation for the past three days, and it started to bother him. _"Maybe I'm going insane." _Will thought, then frowned. _"Then again…how would I know? Does realizing my insanity-if it does exist-make it impossible? If I was really insane, would I realize it?" _

He laughed quietly. _"I _must _be insane." _He decided, then let out a wrenching scream as the whip struck his back. He fell to the cold ground, and heard a taunting voice above him: "What's so _funny, _baby? Already anticipating your next interrogation? I'm certainly excited!"

Will grudgingly attempted to ignore Alda as he climbed awkwardly to his feet again. To his relief, Alda moved on to whip one of the prisoners that was unfortunate enough to have stumbled.

Will was tempted to shut his eyes, try and block out the horrid screaming of the prisoners and the odd chanting of the Wargals. But he couldn't. He couldn't just give up, not when there was a chance of escape.

_"The battle. I'll run away in the battle." _Will promised, then sighed. _"If I make it that long." _He glanced at the sun that was doing nothing to warm the marching men and Wargals. Will shuddered. _"Where are you, Halt?" _

**PAGEBREAK HERE! LololOLololOloLoLOlOLolOloL…SORRY. I'M JUST A LITTLE….SUGARY :D**

Halt rode Abelard towards Castle Araluen, careful to keep him at nothing above a brisk walk. He didn't want to alarm the citizens by rushing, as they would immediately assume that something was wrong. On the other hand, something _was _wrong.

With that, he sped up his pace to a near-trot, forcing Gilan and Crowley, who were directly behind him, to do the same.

The three rode through the streets towards Castle Araluen, attracting curious glances from the civilians as they approached the castle gate. After displaying their silver oakleaves, the Rangers entered, still under the watchful eye of the townsfolk.

Halt strode quickly across the outdoor path, stopping only when Gilan gave a quick gulp. "Erm, Halt?" His former apprentice mumbled, and Halt glanced towards him. Crowley pointed across the lawn toward the stables, where a shaggy, gray, and somewhat distraught pony stood, held in place by a tall blonde.

All three Rangers broke into a run, and Halt called Tug's name. Immediately, the pony's ears pricked forward, and the blonde girl, who Halt recognized as Will's friend Alyss, spun around. To the Rangers' alarm, Alyss dropped her gaze to the ground, not able to look them in the eye.

"I'm sorry." The normally gathered apprentice sighed, still staring at the ground intently. Halt frowned. "Sorry? For what?"

At this, Alyss glanced up, pain in her eyes. "He rode by me the day he left. He-he told me to tell you that he was sorry. Then he rode away, and-." The courier stopped for a moment, closed her eyes, and continued. "The next day, Tug was found wandering the forest. Lady Pauline and I took him with us, because we knew you would be here."

The poor girl opened here eyes again and stared into Halt's. "I don't know where he is, and I-I feel so guilty!" Alyss looked as if she were going to burst into tears, and Gilan placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not your fault. We're not sure what's gotten into him either." The young Ranger said, and Alyss nodded, recollecting herself. "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry." With that, the young courier spun on her heels and drifted off to look for Pauline.

The Rangers stared after her. Or, more accurately, Halt stared after her. Crowley and Gilan were busy staring at Halt, trying (though failing) to read the grizzled man's expression. They knew that inside, he was desperately worried for his apprentice.

After a moment, Halt glanced down at Will's pony. "An awful mess this has turned into, huh?" He muttered, stroking the pony's neck. Tug snorted in agreement, just as a voice sounded from the tower.

"SMOKE ON THE HORIZON!" The sentry bellowed, and sure enough, a thick black haze was rising from the trees. "Something tells me that's not just a little brushfire." Crowley muttered. He was most certainly correct.

**PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGEBRREEEEEAAAAAK PEACE OUT LOL I LOVE GUACAMOLE ACTUALLY NO I DON'T WHATEVER LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL**

**_-One Hour Earlier-_**

Will trudged on, ignoring the screams as usual. His mind felt numb. Just hours before, he had been brutally beaten for information he would never give. _"Strange," _he thought bitterly, _"how that's not even unusual anymore. Just part of the schedule!"_

He nearly laughed aloud, but thought better of it. Again, he turned his focus to trying to stay awake, trying to find away to keep the pressure off of certain spots while applying them to others.

Suddenly, the steady marching halted, and Will glanced up, a little spark of his formerly curious self showing through. But only for a moment.

"Should we kill 'er?" A voice shouted from the front of the line. "Naw, just send 'er back with the others." Another voice, one of the men who had whipped him, called. Slowly, the line began to move again.

Will sighed and began to trudge along once more, when he was nearly knocked off his feet by a sudden force. He yelped as the force smashed against his tender skin, causing his wounds throb.

"Oh, sorry!" A voice cried, and Will turned dumbly to face a girl. "'So kay." Will mumbled, and the girl nodded carefully. "I'm…Evanlyn. Where-where are we going?"

Will stared at Evanlyn, tempted to lie. She looked very worried, after all, and he didn't want to alarm her. Then again, she'd better brace herself.

"Well, you're a captive of Morgarath now." Will said slowly, trying not to strain himself, smiling sympathetically as Evanlyn gasped quietly. "And we're going to war. Don't know what'll happen when we get there, just that that's where we're going." He finished, then glanced at his new companion. Evanlyn stared at the ground for a while, listening to the whips cracking and Wargals chanting.

"There's a bridge." She said suddenly, but quietly, suspicious of the other prisoners. Will frowned. "How would you know?" He asked, and Evanlyn sighed. "Look, I trust you, so I'll tell you. But if you betray me…." She trailed off, and Will raised his eyebrows.

Finally, Evanlyn continued. "My maiden, a couple other servants, and I were traveling through the countryside when Morgarath's men attacked. I escaped, but the others were killed. As I fled, I learned about the bridge. Morgarath's army is going to use it. I…I was going to burn it."

Will glanced at his companion, impressed, and Evanlyn sighed. "Well, now there's no hope. We must be half an hour away at most. There's no way. What if-." Evanlyn cut herself off, but Will knew what she was going to say: _"What if Duncan loses this battle?" _

He stared at this girl for a moment, troubled. She seemed so…empty. Like a flame had been taken out of her. This awakened something in Will. _"They took my flame, too." _He thought, then smiled mischievously. _"Well, as long as we're playing with fire…." _

"We're getting out of here." He whispered to Evanlyn, whose eyebrows shot up. _"How?" _She mouthed to him, and Will glanced around. "Wait for my signal." Will whispered, a small idea forming in his mind. "I'll hold up my hand when I'm ready."

Evanlyn frowned doubtfully, but nodded. She watched as he bent down and picked up a decent-sized stone. After making sure the guards were looking away, he chucked it at a nearby Wargal's head.

Though Will was exhausted, malnourished, and injured, his aim remained steady. The rock flew in a perfect arc, hitting the back of the beast's head with a satisfying _thunk_.

The Wargal spun around, roaring madly. In the process, it tripped another Wargal, which provoked a fight. Some of the surrounding Wargals noticed and joined in, creating the perfect diversion.

The guards rushed forward, whips cracking wildly in a frantic attempt to stop the crazed beasts. Will immediately held his hand up, and Evanlyn followed him as he ducked off the trail with ease.

The two, for fear that they may have been seen by a guard, ran. Will ached like never before. He wanted to stop, fall to the ground, and rest. But he couldn't. He just kept running, running until the Wargals' chanting had faded long ago.

After around fifteen minutes of running like madmen, the two stopped, relief spreading over their faces. Just before them was a bridge, and a huge one at that. It looked truly magnificent. As if reading his thoughts, Evanlyn managed to joke between gasps; "It'll look better up in flames."

Will grinned deviously, and began to gather materials from the forest floor. It was time for a bonfire.

**A/N: GAAAAH I know I'm a terrible person :(! Lately, my chapters have been taking longer and longer to upload, and they've been getting worse and worse. I'm really, really sorry about that! My life's just _way _too busy! GAAAAH I hate stress…but at least you guys are here for me! :D That means _so _much! Keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	12. The Perfect Storm

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY!...O…M…G… NINETY REVIEWS! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Okay, sorry if I freaked you out there, I'm just sooooo excited! I seriously love you guys soooo much! So…better not keep you waiting. Read on!**

**-Chapter Eleven: The Perfect Storm-**

"Come on, come on…!" Will chanted, staring at the small wisp of smoke twirling from the base of the bridge. He clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes, silently willing for a spark to form.

"How's yours coming along?" He shouted to Evanlyn, who was working on the opposite side of the bridge. She grunted. "Not very well. I'm still worried, though. What if you can't make it across the bridge in time?"

Will frowned. That thought had crossed his mind many times. The apprentice Ranger quickly decided that the task of burning a bridge would be much simpler if the two worked on opposite sides of the structure.

Will insisted up front that he would work on the side the army would be crossing from. That way, though he never voiced this thought, if the bridge collapsed, Evanlyn could have a chance at survival.

Suddenly, he let out a cry of triumph. Below him, a small spark flashed into existence, then another, and finally a tiny flame was born. Evanlyn glanced over and let out a relieved laugh, then another joyful cry as she formed a flame of her own.

After a careful display of Halt's teachings, Will and Evanlyn's weak flames turned into small fires. Plumes of smoke began to rise into the sky, and Will's gaze followed them up. His eyes widened at what he saw.

Above them, the sky was a deep gray, and clouds churned and twirled threateningly. Off in the distance, flashes of light signaled a storm was on its way. _"How could I be so stupid?" _Will scolded himself. _"I should have realized what was happening long ago!" _

In truth, Will had just been pushed to wit's end for the past year. He'd escaped an abusive father, made a new life, been found by his old enemies, fled the people he loved most, been captured by the kingdom's greatest enemy, been tortured brutally, escaped by the skin of his teeth, and now was attempting to save the entire kingdom, and he was only fifteen. He had plenty of reasons to forget about the stupid weather.

Still, this never occurred to him. "We've got to hurry. A storm's on the way, and the Wargals could be along any minute now." Will called, and Evanlyn nodded, not bothering to dawdle. She recognized the urgency of this situation.

After a minute or two, the bridge began to provide a thick plume of smoke, and Will smiled. _"Maybe fate's on my side this time." _Fate, apparently, didn't think so, and decided to show it.

Thunder began to boom, the sky getting darker and darker, the lightning steadily approaching. The clouds let a few drops of rain down. Will cursed, then turned to his companion. "Keep the fires going!" He shouted, doing the same.

The rain was falling faster and faster now, and thunder boomed in the companions' ears. The fires were dying slowly, but wasn't gone yet. The bridge was so close to collapsing…just a little more.

"EVANLYN!" Will screamed, struggling to be heard over the pouring rain and thunder. "DO YOU HEAR THAT?" Evanlyn frowned. "I KNOW, I KNOW! THE THUNDER!" She yelled back, and Will shook his head rapidly. "NO! IT'S THE WARGALS!"

Sure enough, the Wargal's began to sound across the forest, and figures began to emerge from the trees. "No." Will whispered, tears threatening to fall. _"So close." _He thought _"I was so close to victory." _

At that moment, Fate must have decided that maybe it'd cut Will a _little _break. After all it had done to him, the poor boy deserved _something. _Just not everything. Maybe a nice benefit, with a major consequence. Yes, that would be about right. At least, that was the only explanation for what happened next.

Evanlyn rushed across the bridge, carefully avoiding the smoldering fires. "Will, come on!" She shouted, grabbing his hand. She was about to turn, dragging them both back across the bridge, when Fate struck. And by Fate, I mean lightning. Directly on the bridge.

The bridge was smothered by an enormous flash of light, nearly blinding the onlookers. A few moments passed in relative silence. The Wargals' chants had ceased, but thunder still boomed all around them, and rain still roared in the ears of the onlookers.

Slowly, Will pried his hand away from his eyes, and his mouth dropped. All that was left of the bridge was a heap of burnt boards on either side of the gap. The rest was either burned to a crisp or had fallen.

Evanlyn let out a small cry of joy beside him, and Will turned, beaming weakly. "We did it." She whispered, and Will nodded proudly. Suddenly, realization dawned on him. "And we've got an army behind us."

Evanlyn's eyes grew wide, and they looked each other in the eye, nodded quickly, and ran. The Wargals followed. "Get them! GET THEM, YOU IDIOTS!" A voice screeched furiously, and Will recognized it as Morgarath's.

_"My life is SO messed up." _Will thought, then dodged another tree. He was a fast runner, but he was injured. Badly. There was only so much he could do before he put himself in a worse state. Keeping this in mind, he made sure Evanlyn was in front of him.

_"If she goes down, I can distract them. If I go down, she can keep running." _He reasoned, not figuring that his new friend would have a different opinion. She did.

Will tore across the ground, giving pained cries each time his pumping arms tore at a sore spot. He weaved back and forth as he sprinted through the trees, desperate to avoid any arrows. This worked for a few minutes, but he grew weary quickly, and that's when the arrow hit home.

It wouldn't be a fatal injury, the archer made sure of that. But it would hurt. A lot. The arrow had wedged itself under the edge of Will's shoulder blade, which had been exposed as he twisted around a tree trunk.

Will cried in pain and fell to the forest floor, squeezing his eyes shut. _"This is it. I'm going to die." _He thought, and a darker part of his mind continued: _"Finally the pain is over. I'm so tired…I'll just let them take me…then it will all be over…."_

He felt a hand on his arm. But it wasn't big and rough, like he'd expected. It was a delicate hand; a girl's. "Will! Will, speak to me!" A voice cried. _"No…" _He thought, cringing at the touch.

"Run." He mumbled, not bothering to open his eyes. It hurt too much. "Will, I'm not leaving you!" Evanlyn cried, and Will's eyes flew open. "No! Leave! I'm done for anywa-." He never got to finish.

The rough hands he'd been expecting finally arrived, gripping his wounded arm and yanking him upwards. The jerking movement ripped the arrow through the muscle it was lodged under, and Will screamed in agony.

"You've been a naughty boy, Will." A voice, Morgarath's, growled. "Your father will not be pleased." Will felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, and realized he'd been stabbed with something. _"A needle." _Will thought. _"And the only useful kind of needle is a drugged one." _He closed his eyes, letting unconsciousness, or maybe death, come.

Pounding. The pounding in his head was back.

He could hear the thunder rumbling, the rain pouring, the Wargals chanting. But it all sounded so distant, like it was from a dream. He was faintly aware of somebody calling his name. Who was it, though? It was a girl's voice, he knew that. Was it Alyss?

Alyss. He was in love with her, or at least he thought he was. He couldn't really remember. There were others, too. Other names in his head. Horace was one of them. He remembered hating Horace, but no hatred came when he thought the name. Did that mean they were friends? He didn't know.

Pounding. The pounding in his head was growing louder.

There were so many names floating around. Jenny, George, Daniel, Gilan, Morgarath, Crowley, Duncan, Evanlyn-_yes, Evanlyn was the girl's name,_-Alyss, Elena, Horace…Halt. That was a big name to him. It made him warm inside, very at home, but it also provoked another feeling…longing. Why though? Who was Halt? He couldn't remember anymore.

Pounding. The pounding in his head was drowning out all other noises.

A part of him was screaming in terror, not wanting to slip away, to give into the blackness. Some part of him was telling him once he did, all was lost. But another part of him was ready to. _"I'm so tired. I could just go, right now, and fade…I won't hurt anymore…"_

Pounding. The pounding in his head overcame him, and Will slipped away into unconsciousness. Or death. He didn't really know. It didn't really matter.

**A/N: Wow, this turned out really dark...I'm kind of freaked out by what I just wrote, but at the same time, I kinda like it ;). And…HOLY MOTHER OF HALT IT'S ELEVEN CHAPPIES ALREADY. This is officially my longest story (so far)! SOoOOOOoOOoooO Anyways…THANKS FOR EVERYTHING! Keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	13. Red Hill

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY!...thank you. So. Darn. MUCH! I LVOVLOVOLVOVLOVLVOLVOVLOVLVOVLOVLVOLOVE YOU GUYS SOSOSOSO MUCH RIGHT NOW! _Over 100 reviews._ Am I DREAMING?! *Slaps self*…Okay, so I'm not dreaming…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAH! READ ON BEFORE I HYPERVENTILATE AND DIE!**

**-Chapter Twelve: Red Hill-**

Horace glanced around nervously. He'd dreamed since he was a boy about battle. He'd always wanted to be the hero, the knight in shining armor, dashing through the ranks of the enemy, slicing and chopping. But this, this was different.

A heavy blanket of grim tension filled the air, reaching into Horace's heart and chilling him to the bone. There was no joy, no spark of excitement or eagerness in his fellow soldiers' eyes. Only bitter acceptance. They were doing this for the kingdom, and they knew very well that these could be their last moments.

Horace glanced at the scene around him. Rolling hills faded into a canopy of trees. Normally, this would be pleasant scenery, but the swirling, blackened sky, occasionally illuminated by flashes of lightning gave it an eerie appearance. His heard pounded in his ears, mingling with the sound of the pouring rain.

Horace shuddered as he realized the yellow-coated hill before him would soon be coated in a horrific shade of red. Years from now, small children could run along this hill, laughing and picking flowers, unaware of the lives lost the very place they were standing.

The sound of the bugle shook Horace from his thoughts, and his heart leapt. A thick rumble of thunder followed, as if warning them. Horace shuddered, knowing he was about to see his first battle, and maybe his last.

**HEY, IT'S PAGEBREAK! YOU DIDN'T SEE ME AT ALL LAST CHAPPIE…MISSSSSSS MEEEEE? HEHE, YOU KNOW YOU DID, LADIES! (I liked it better when you were gone.)**

Someone was crying.

Will snapped into consciousness, searching for the source of the noise. His eyes landed on Evanlyn, who was sobbing softly from beside him. Why was she crying? He tried to ask her, but his mouth wouldn't move. He attempted a grunt, just to tell her that he was awake, but his voice wouldn't respond.

_"What's wrong with me?" _Will thought, and pieces of what had happened the night before began to drift back. _"Oh. That explains some things." _He thought. _"Like why my entire body is numb. But where are we?" _

As if to answer his question, the boards he was lying on lurched forward violently. _"Oh. A cart." _Will concluded, and mentally sighed. _"So basically I'm just going to sit here breathing. Great. I wonder where we're going."_

The two traveled on for a while later, Evanlyn still sobbing and Will still numb, before the cart lurched again. This time, Will's smacked against a heavy crate. Tingles rocketed through his body, and darkness slipped around him again.

**AWWWW, YOU DON'T MEAN THAT, DO YA BOSS? (Yes. Now shut up, they want to read.)**

The armies met in the middle.

Morgarath watched, a sneer on his face. Duncan's men fought ferociously, but his Wargals had a serious advantage. The knights of Araluen had a fighting style based largely upon codes of chivalry. In contrast, the Wargals would rip you apart without hesitation. This was coming into play before his eyes.

Morgarath vented all his anger into his Wargal's minds. Duncan, Halt, Will...all the names that enraged him floated before him. Will. Yes, he would be very useful indeed.

Suddenly, he noticed a tremor of fear run through his army. _"No…" _Morgarath thought, watching as Araluen's cavalry flanked the Wargals perfectly, driving the beasts into panic. The primitive beasts swung their arms wildly, managing to maintain their steady slaughter, but their numbers were declining rapidly.

Morgarath may have been cruel, bitter, and downright evil, but he wasn't stupid. Immediately, the former baron saw the way this battle was tilting. "Raise the flag of treaty." Morgarath growled, then let a cold smile appear. He'd make them pay.

**THAT HURTS, BOSS. THAT HURTS ME REALLY BAD. (You're a bunch of words. You can't feel pain. Since when do you call me Boss, anyway?)**

Halt watched as Morgarath rode over the hill and stopped above the army, gazing down at them. He watched as lightning flashed behind him, and the Lord of The Mountains of Rain and Night smiled wickedly. Halt rolled eyes. Looks like Morgarath still had his old flair for dramatics.

"Well, Duncan. Here we are." Morgarath called, and King Duncan scowled. "What do you want, Morgarath?" The King shouted over the storm, and the former baron smiled. "We all know what _I _want, Duncan. The throne!"

King Duncan rolled his eyes. "Obviously. But what is your challenge?" Morgarath blinked, taken aback, and the king laughed. "Honestly, Morgarath, you're growing predictable. You'll stand up there, challenge one of us to single combat, and act dramatic and extravagant the entire time. Let's just cut to the chase."

In the crowd, Halt smirked, and Gilan nearly fell off of Blaze trying to conceal his laughter. The Lord's expression was just too much. After a few moments of stunned silence (other than the occasional snort that ran through the onlookers), Morgarath's face grew calm once more.

"All very well, Duncan, but I have something different in mind. Something that will wipe that obnoxious look off of your face." Morgarath called, and Duncan raised an eyebrow. Seeing that he was getting his point across, the former baron continued with renewed confidence.

"Yes, seems there was a little…trouble with my plans in reaching the kingdom. You see, my bridge was burned by two particularly troublesome prisoners. Two unique ones, at that." Morgarath wheeled his mount back and forth, and paused for effect. "Yes, it's not often you find a Ranger apprentice and princess running around the back woods."

Duncan's eyes widened, and his breath caught. _"Cassandra…!" _He thought desperately. Deep in the crowd, Halt was having a similar reaction. _"No. He's a liar. He's trying to break us down. They can't have Will." _Halt looked into his former apprentice's eyes, quietly panicking in the way only he could.

Morgarath let a wicked grin spread across his face. "Seems I've captured your attention. Speaking of captured, where _are _those nasty prisoners?" As hard as Duncan and Halt tried to convince themselves that Morgarath was lying, they couldn't deny it. The faces of the two they loved most were being dragged up next to Morgarath.

**-WILL'S P.O.V...Sort Of...Well, Mostly...-**

Rough hands grabbed his arms, jerking him upward and into reality. "C'mon, baby. Lord Morgarath wants you two. And you're sure gonna be sorry." A voice, Alda's, growled.

Will, finding that he still couldn't move most of his body, flicked his eyes towards Evanlyn. The girl was desperately struggling against Bryn and Jerome, who easily overcame her. Will sighed, then blinked in surprise. _"Okay." _He thought. _"So I can sigh. And blink. That's a start."_

He didn't have much time to think anymore, because Alda was dragging him now. Tingles spread up his body, and he silently pleaded for control to return just a little quicker. _"Come on, hurry!" _He thought, and experimentally jerked his leg forward. To his relief, it obeyed. He jerked it again, and wrenched his torso around, trying to wrench Alda's arm from his.

For a second, he was free, and he heard Evanlyn cry out in happiness, but Alda grabbed him again, and Bryn joined him on the other side. "Now, now, baby. Stay still. We're just taking you to a naptime." Bryn mocked, and Will gulped, knowing his "nap" would be a permanent one.

Will kicked again, trying to struggle, but he found that he was quickly tired. He cursed himself for forgetting just how weak he really was. "Here we are, babies. Get ready." Jerome announced, and Will's heart climbed into his throat.

Will was jerked forward into a scene he'd never wanted to face. It seemed all of Araluen was gathered before them, and though he was being dragged toward Morgarath, his eyes were on the crowd. Will's gaze fell upon one pair of eyes: Halt's.

For a moment, their eyes locked, and Will saw an emotion he'd never seen in his mentor's eyes: fear. Will gulped and stared at the ground again. He just couldn't look at the man he'd come to think of as a father. He was too ashamed. _"Look at me." _Will thought bitterly. _"Some Ranger I turned out to be."_

Instead, he focused on his captor, who had dismounted and was striding towards them. "Well, look what we've got here." He said, looking him up and down. "A Ranger's apprentice," he smirked and turned to Evanlyn, "and a princess."

Will turned and stared at Evanlyn, wide-eyed. "'ince'?" He tried to shout, but his tongue seemed too big for his mouth, and his head was spinning. The Dark Lord snorted. "Looks like the drug _still _hasn't worn off. Seems not all Rangers are as tough as they'd like us to believe."

Will cast his gaze downward, and Morgarath smirked in triumph. Out in the crowd, though Will didn't notice, Halt was desperately trying to work his way through the mass of people.

_"I'll kill them all. I'll kill every single person that touched a hair on that boy's head!" _Halt thought angrily as he shoved his way through, but a hand grasped his. He spun around to see Crowley shaking his head. "Be careful." His friend warned, pointing to the knife that was being held to Will's throat. Halt scowled, but stood down, knowing that it was hopeless to try.

Morgarath turned to the crowd again and announced with great pleasure, "I'm certain you have heard of the Kalkara." The entire world seemed to fall silent, other than the constant rainfall. Morgarath snorted and continued. "I see you have. Well, there are two left. And I think two people should fight them. I have a certain prisoner in mind, but there's another open slot."

Halt's heart crawled into his throat as he realized what was happening. Morgarath seemed to be staring right at him as he spoke his next words. "So who will fill this slot? The princess, or the Ranger?"

Will shuddered. He knew what the people's choice would be. But the _Kalkara? _Despite the situation, Will nearly laughed. _"I'm so unlucky it's almost funny." _He thought, and managed to look up into the crowd.

Duncan had a look of pity on his face as he stared up at Will. _"I'm sorry." _The king's eyes seemed to say, which worried Will even more. Will moved his gaze to Halt, and he felt his heart being dragged down. His mentor, his master, his father, was looking at him with the most helpless expression he'd ever seen. Will didn't want to hurt Halt, he didn't want to leave his friends behind, but he knew what he must do.

"Pick me." Will finally announced, breaking the silence. "Let Ev-the princess-go."

He felt all eyes shift towards him, most full of pity, some of shock, some of hurt. Will could see Halt open his mouth to protest out of the corner of his eye, but Morgarath cut him off as Jerome shoved Cassandra into the arms of a very relieved King Duncan.

"Well, it seems we're going to have a contest. Ranger, prisoner, and Kalkara. How exciting!" Morgarath shouted, practically overflowing with glee. Then, his face contorted from a happy grin to an evil one. "But there's something you should know about little Will here." Will's eyes widened. _"No!" _He thought, realizing where this was going. _"Don't tell them!" _Obviously, Morgarath continued.

"You see, he's been a _very _naughty boy." The Dark Lord's eyes twinkled with a vicious gleam. "You may think he's a poor little orphan, with deceased foster parents." _"How does he know that?" _Will thought as Morgarath rambled.

"Well, you're wrong. This boy, in fact, ran away from home, leaving his father-who was crippled by the war-to fend for himself." Morgarath grinned wildly, and Halt frowned. _"No. This can't be true…." _

"Now, let's be fair. It _is _true that Will had some incentive to run." Will squirmed uncomfortably as wide eyes landed on him. "It _is _true that his father was a terrible drunk and beat him senseless every day." Morgarath smiled widely as a few people gasped, but his eyes were on Halt.

Halt didn't realize he was biting his tongue until his mouth was flooded with blood. _"How dare he!" _Halt thought. At this point, the grizzled Ranger was seething with rage. He would rip Will's father, whoever that may be, apart limb from limb. How dare he treat his apprentice-no, his _son,_- that way?

Morgarath continued. "So Will ran. And he lied. To every one of you. Who knows how much you can really trust this boy? Maybe he had deeper, darker secrets that his little friend didn't tell me." Will's head snapped up _"Wha-no!" _Morgarath wheeled around to look at Will.

"Yes, there was a girl trying to make her way to Celtica. All I had to do was threaten her little boyfriend, and she spilled just about everything. Really, Will, you _must _choose your companions wisely. What was her name again? Elena, I believe? It doesn't matter anyhow, she and her companion are dead, after all."

"No…" Will whispered, tears forming in his eyes. "Elena…" Morgarath nodded, satisfied, and Halt would have charged forward, if not for Crowley, Gilan, and Duncan. "Not now." They whispered. "We'll find a way." Morgarath took this opportunity to continue. "Well, I think that's enough of that. Ready to meet your fellow combatant?" Morgarath called, not expecting or receiving an answer. "Bring him out."

Will looked up, hoping that it would be somebody large, or experienced. Instead, he was met with a face he never wanted to see again. The face stared back at him, wide-eyed and scruffy. "Will?" His father muttered.

**A/N: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I'M SOSOSO SORRY! Again, I upload late, and the chappie's choppy (hehe chappie choppy…sorry) and not at ALL worth the wait…but anyways…OOOOOH SNAP! Lots of stuff happened…like lots. AND I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S ALMOST OVER! Next chappie's the last, followed by a short epilogue and then…done. But anyhow…longest chappie I've EVER written, and I'm exhausted now. So…keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	14. Father, Son, and Kalkara

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY!...wow. Here I am, at the end of my story (besides the epilogue), and…wow. I can't believe how incredibly amazing every one of you is! Your reviews make me smile every day, and that's much more than I'd ever ask for. So again, thank you. I wish I could do more than say thank you, but that's all I got…aaaaaaaaanyways…read on! WARNING THIS IS GOING TO BE EXTREMELY BAD AND I'M SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO SORRY! YOU GUYS DESERVE BETTER BUT MY INSPIRATION IS GONE!**

**-Chapter Thirteen: Father, Son, and Kalkara-**

"Will?" His father whispered, and Will's eyes widened. For a moment, both were still. After what seemed like an eternity, Daniel took a step forward, and Will began flail around in the Triad's arms, desperate to escape.

"Let go!" Will shouted helplessly, and Alda laughed. "Sorry, baby. We're not done with you." The Triad gripped his arms tighter, making him cry out in pain. Morgarath chuckled darkly the noise.

"Now, now, Will. Let's be patient." He turned to Alda, Bryn, and Jerome. "In the arena." He commanded, and the Triad obeyed. They dragged Will and his father away from the hill and towards an extremely large arena that was typically used for jousting tournaments.

In the meantime, Crowley and Gilan were gripping Halt's arms in a desperate attempt to keep him from charging off into the arena to save Will. _"Not now." _Gilan whispered. "If he captures you, he'll just have more leverage."

Will was dragged alongside his father, and he couldn't keep his eyes off of Daniel's face. The former warrior was staring ahead, thinking. What would happen when they arrived in the arena? Would he survive? What if…what if Daniel killed him?

Will felt the hands release him, and suddenly he was looking around a vast arena, his weapons at his feet. Will bent down and armed himself, looking around wildly. His father was beside him, sword in hand, staring at him.

"Will, you-." Daniel began, but was cut off by Morgarath's voice. "Shall we release the Kalkara, then?" The voice boomed. Will couldn't find the source, but he heard another voice; King Duncan's.

"Morgarath, stop this madness at once! You are _losing _this battle, if you haven't remembered!" The King commanded, and Morgarath scoffed. "Now, King Duncan. I could release the Kalkara at any time. They could destroy your villages, kill your citizens, and never be captured. I'd say that _I _am at the upper hand here."

King Duncan fell silent, knowing he couldn't endanger his kingdom. Still, his daughter kept pleading with him. "Please, father!" Cassandra urged. "You-you have to save him!" Duncan just looked away sadly. There was no way.

"Now, let's make a proposal here. If the Ranger and his daddy win," Morgarath announced from the shadows, "I'll retreat. If not, well, let's say either _you _surrender, or I release the Kalkara and Wargals." Silence fell over the crowd, and he laughed. "I'll take that as an agreement. RELEASE THE KALKARA!"

Despite the deadly situation he was in, Will couldn't resist rolling his eyes. _"Still overly dramatic." _He thought, just as a piercing growl ripped him into reality.

Will looked up at the beast before him, then quickly looked down. _"Not its eyes. Don't look…." _He heard an agonized screech from beside, and felt a rush of surprise. _"Daniel can _fight_? What?" _He didn't have much time to think, because a claw ripped through the air in front of him.

Will snapped to attention and nocked an arrow onto his bowstring. His arms were quaking with tension and weakness, and he hoped with all his might that fate would take pity on him, and he could fire.

Fate must have pitied him.

He let the arrow fly, and it sank deep into the Kalkara's flesh. It roared in pain, and Will felt a surge of hope, but it didn't last long. The Kalkara gave another haunting scream and charged at Will.

The boy ducked away and found himself side-by-side with his father. Will tried to move away, but they were surrounded in the center of the arena, the two Kalkara circling them hungrily. "Will." His father spoke, and Will flinched, "I'm sorry."

Will nearly dropped his bow along with his jaw, but before he could move, Daniel spoke again. "I was wrong. When you left, I-I did some thinking, and I-." Will, though he was listening intently, saw one of the Kalkara stumble in its endless circling, and knew this was his opportunity.

Will lifted his bow and let an arrow fly. It landed neatly in the beast's flesh, striking the animal's heart perfectly. It roared in agony and fell to the ground, still breathing. Will fired another arrow, then another, and finally the Kalkara lay dead.

For the first time, Morgarath felt a pang of doubt. _"Could it be possible…no. There's no way." _He thought, then smiled at what he saw before him. The other Kalkara, while Will and Daniel were distracted, had snuck up behind them.

Halt noticed this too, and gave a desperate cry: "Will!" The apprentice Ranger heard him, and ducked to the side, just as a massive claw came down on his shoulder. If he hadn't moved, it would have been his head. But that didn't take away the pain.

He screamed, his eyes bulging and teeth clenched, as he tried to pull free. The claw was ripping through his flesh, tearing his muscles, blinding him with the most unimaginable pain…and that's when his gaze flicked to the beast's eyes.

They were so…dark. So empty, but so full. They were terrifying. Will felt like he was falling, and the ground was approaching, and there was nothing he could do. He felt panic wash over him, and his heart raced in his chest. He wanted to scream, wanted to run, wanted to just be _gone _already, but he couldn't. Will was paralyzed with fear. He accepted it. It was over. The kingdom would fall to Morgarath, thanks to him. He was a prisoner of those eyes…

Suddenly, the eyes were ripped away from him, and he gasped. The Kalkara was growling, a deep slash in its arm, staring at his father.

Daniel leaped forward and slashed the beast, who retaliated swiftly. The retired warrior sidestepped like he'd never even been injured, and thrust his sword deep into the Kalkara's chest.

The beast screamed and fell to the ground, but not before it plunged its claws into Daniel's chest. The Kalkara and the warrior fell together.

Will whimpered, trying to hold the tears back as he limped weakly to his father, who gave him a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Will. I love you." "I love you too, Dad." Will whispered, and the warrior nodded, closing his eyes. His breathing stopped, then his heartbeat.

For a moment, everything was silent in the arena. No one dared move or speak, and it seemed no one would, until a voice boomed in their ears.

"NO!" Morgarath screeched, flying into the arena. "You. You have cost me _everything._" He spat, grabbing Will's shirt and lifting him up, causing Will to wince. "ATTACK!" He screamed to his Wargals. "I COMMAND YOU TO ATTACK! And you, boy." He snarled, "You are going to di-."

The Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night looked down in surprise. Protruding from his stomach was a long, black-shafted arrow. He gave a surprised choke, then fell to the ground, his eyes rolling back in his head.

Instantly, the Wargals, who were readying themselves for a charge, stood still, blinking stupidly. Now that their master was gone, they had no motive to fight. And the Wargals, who were trained to fight, had to options: battle or retreat. And retreat they did.

The Wargals gave sharp, grunting cries and sped off to the mountains. For a moment, all was silent as the warriors stood in confusion. Then a loud cry emerged from the throats of King Duncan's men, and they charged after the beasts.

As Horace charged along with the army, he knew that his friend would go down in history as a hero.

**A/N: I am beyond sorry. I kept you waiting for nearly two weeks, and in turn you get…this. I've just lost all inspiration I had for this story. Writing this chappie wasn't fun for me, and I'm sure it wasn't fun to read. I am _extremely _sorry! Hopefully the epilogue is better. Keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	15. Epilogue

**A/N: And so it ends. I had _so _much fun writing this story (at least up until that last chappie…sorry), and I'm so incredibly grateful for the fact that you guys had fun reading it! I couldn't ask for more supportive, wonderful reviewers/followers/favoriters. So, that being said, read on!**

-Epilogue -

Will stared at the gravestone in front of him. The only sound in the woods were rustling leaves and dripping rain, and Will preferred to keep it that way. Over the past week, he'd been ambushed with a constant flow of questions, remarks, and praises. He _hated _it.

_"I'm no hero." _Will thought miserably. _"I failed. I let the Kalkara get to me, and I'd be dead now if it weren't for…." _He sighed and focused again on the grave in front of him.

"What do want to mark it with?" Halt's voice broke him from his thoughts, and he glanced at his mentor. Will thought for a moment. "I don't know." He finally replied. "I'm not quite sure what I think of him. He was…never really a father to me, and hero doesn't sound right."

Halt nodded grimly, letting a silence pass over them once more. After a few moments, he broke it again. "Look, Will. Next time anything's bothering you, I want you to tell me." Will glanced at his mentor, sensing he was holding something back. Halt took a deep breath and blurted out the words he'd been thinking over for a while.

"Look, I know you've never had a real parent figure in your life so…I _could _adopt you…if that's what you wanted." Halt glanced nervously at his wide-eyed apprentice. A few moments passed. Finally, Will's lips stretched into the first real smile he'd had in weeks.

"Yes, Halt. I'd love that."

**A/N: AAAAAAAND…done. Short epilogue, I know, but it needed to be done. Anyways, I'm sorry about the late-but-rushed ending to this :P. After this, I'm probably going to start writing for Percy Jackson for a while, so I won't be updating any stories for RA any time soon. Sorry bout that also…man I'm saying sorry WAY too much here…keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY **


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